Helpless
by RosyRain
Summary: There were just some things that were uncontrollable, and Miyamura Haruka was perfectly fine with that, but she had never been truly, desperately, hopelessly helpless.
1. Chapter 1

_New fandom. New fic. New point of view for story telling._

 _A little fun fact, I was actually inspired by the song 'Helpless' from Hamilton. That's not to say this will go along the lines of 'Helpless.' I just really liked how warm the song made me feel. Hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it._

* * *

Miyamura Haruka stole a glance at the clean, white face of her wristwatch to check the time, a small frown pulling on her features when she realized just how late it was already. She always left school late, thanks to club activities, but with how terrible the weather had suddenly gotten, getting home was a task easier said than done. She was thankful she had decided at the last minute to take her umbrella with her before heading to school, but even with the bright yellow umbrella shielding her from the rain, she still couldn't avoid her shoes and the hems of her pants and sleeves from getting wet.

' _At least I don't have to wait out this rain but…'_

Haruka fished out her phone from the pocket of her tracksuit and slowed down her pace a bit so she could search through her contacts for a specific name. She didn't need to look that long though, since the name she was looking for was set to appear somewhere at the top of the list. Haru sped up again when she called the number and pressed the phone against her ear.

One ring. Two rings. Three.

On the fourth, someone picked up.

" _Nee-san?"_

"Yuuichi, are you home already?" the girl asked, raising her voice to make sure her brother could hear her over the rain. "I'm gonna be a little late, so can you start dinner? Promise I'll make it up to you."

" _Sorry, Nee-san. I'm kinda on the way home too..."_

Haruka's frown deepened. "Really…? Damn. Alright," she sighed. "I'll just hurry up then."

" _But gramps is there, Nee-san. He's not gonna let those two go hungry, you know. So don't go running like a crazy woman, you hear?"_

At that, Haruka couldn't help but laugh and nod. "Yeah, yeah," she replied as she came to a stop at an intersection. The signal was still red and a few cars were passing by, splashing rain water about and forcing the girl to take a step back from the gutter. She wasn't too far from home now, just maybe four or five blocks more, recognizing the bakery across the street with the dark green awning. It was already closed, given the hour, but seeing it meant that she was almost home. "Anyway, where are you?"

" _Just got off at the bus stop."_

Haruka's shoulders relaxed a bit, breathing a little easier upon knowing that her brother was somewhere close behind her. She didn't want him to be out in the rain this late. For a moment, she considered if she should wait for him somewhere so they could go home together, but she decided against it, reminding herself that her grandfather was taking care of the twins alone. "I see," she hummed. "I'll see you at home then. Take care."

" _You too. See ya."_

The call then ended just before the signal light turned green, and Haruka slipped her phone back into her pocket as she crossed the street. All she needed to do was to cross a few more streets then make some turns, and then she'll be safe at home. It should have been easy enough, but then she noticed someone standing under the awning of the store, arms wrapped tightly around them. They were wearing an all black tracksuit and had gray hair, and Haruka was surprised that she hadn't noticed them earlier from across the street. Then again, it was dark.

' _And that is exactly why I'm going to walk a little faster and-'_

 _Achoo!_

It was barely audible, but Haruka heard the sneeze that the rain almost drowned out and she stopped before she could pass by the shop. It was cold, after all, even without the rain. It was the middle of spring, but the mornings and evenings were still quite cold. Add to that the heavy downpour…

' _This is just the recipe for catching a cold.'_

And Haruka wasn't one to ignore a person in need. So mustering up her courage and offering a polite smile, she stepped under the shade of the awning and closed her umbrella.

"Hey there," she chirped. "Are you alright?"

Hazel eyes glanced up to meet her gaze, though Haruka doubted if 'up' was the most appropriate word to use. Because with the ridiculous height difference between her and the stranger, apparently a boy around her age, he might as well have been looking down at her.

Haruka felt her eye twitch.

' _Tall…'_

To her surprise, the stranger managed a smile of his own, albeit an awkward one, and somehow, the gesture pulled Haruka out of her train of thought and helped her feel a little more at ease. It also got her to notice the beauty mark sitting just below his left eye, the wet clothes he was wearing and his mess of damp gray hair.

' _He looks like a nice guy.'_

"Ah, I'm alright," he said, trying to come off as casual despite being suddenly approached by a girl. "Thanks for asking... I'm just waiting for the rain to let up."

The girl tilted her head to one side and her expression softened. "You forgot your umbrella?"

A chuckle escaped the tall boy as he nodded. "Yeah," he timidly answered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Of all the days to leave it at home, right?"

Haruka shrugged. "Can't blame you," she hummed. "It was pretty sunny this morning."

"Yeah…" he sighed, his shoulders sagging.

From how heavy the rain was, Haruka was certain the downpour could well go on until tomorrow, and that meant the poor guy was going to have to run through the rain. At this rate, she knew he was going to come down with at least a cold.

An idea coming into mind, Haruka pulled out her phone again and dialed Yuuichi's number. "Give me a minute," she told the taller boy, causing him to blink, but nevertheless stay put.

Not that he could go anywhere else without getting drenched.

" _Nee-san, what is it this time?"_ came her brother's response upon picking up. Haruka could hear the sound of the rain even through the earpiece, her sibling probably still walking the way home.

"Yuuichi, are you near the bakery?" Haruka asked as she turned to look at the crosswalk she had come from, knowing that her brother had gotten off the same bus stop as she had and should be taking the same rout home as she had.

" _Uh, yeah… Why?"_

"Well, I ran into a friend on my way home-" The girl didn't notice it, but the companion she had raised his eyebrows at the mention of 'friend.' "-and he doesn't have an umbrella."

A grin pulled on her lips when she heard the person on the other end of the line heave an exasperated sigh. _"You want to lend him yours so he could go home, right?"_ Haruka opened her mouth to confirm his speculation, but he continued on talking. _"Alright. I'm coming up at the crosswalk. I'll pick you up."_

"Thanks, Yuu," she giggled. "You're the best. Love ya."

" _Whatever, idiot,"_ Yuuichi huffed before ending the call.

Satisfied with her handiwork, Haruka nodded to herself and turned back to the person she shared the awning with. "Alright, that's settled," she chirped. "You're taking my umbrella."

The boy blinked. "Huh?"

Haruka lifted up her umbrella, offering it up to him, and smiled. "It's late, and I'm pretty sure your family's gonna be worried if you're gonna have to wait this weather out."

"That's-"

"You want to go home as soon as possible, right?"

"That's true but-"

"I insist," Haruka stated. When he didn't make a move to take the umbrella, she grabbed one of his hands and slipped the strap onto his wrist.

"Nee-san!"

"And that's my cue," Haruka announced, looking over her shoulder. Her brother, a rather tall boy for someone in his last year of junior high, was already crossing the street, his red umbrella held over his head. "Get home safe. It was nice to meet you!" she sang before crossing her arms over her head to act as some sort of shield. She then dove into the rain and met Yuuichi halfway, dragging him along to head home.

"Nee-san, what's the point of me coming to get you if you're just gonna go ahead and run through the rain like a lunatic?" Yuuichi scolded his sister, his blue-gray eyes pointedly turned at the shorter, yet older girl.

Haruka, on the other hand, simply shrugged, slowing down from the previous jog she had forced her brother into by dragging him. "I didn't get _that_ wet," she told him before pulling on the hems of her white tracksuit. "Besides, I've got my jacket on."

A sigh escaped Yuuichi's lips as he rolled his eyes. "Anyway, who did you run into? I didn't get to see them." The older of the two siblings suddenly stopped walking, prompting Yuuichi to stop as well unless he wanted to get his sister wet.

"Huh. I don't know…"

=oOo=

Sugawara Koushi stood dumfounded underneath the cover of a closed bakeshop's awning, with a stranger's bright yellow umbrella hanging from his left hand. She hadn't exactly appeared out of the blue. It had been difficult for Suga to ignore her umbrella while she had been crossing the street, but it was still a surprise when she began talking to him. The stranger was a short girl, her full height just barely reaching his shoulders, with black hair that had been pulled back in a braid, slate gray eyes and dressed in a white tracksuit. He would've been confident to say that she was, at most, a junior high student, but there was an air of maturity that hung around her that made Suga unsure.

She was nice though, that much, Sugawara could tell, though maybe a bit reckless.

' _Who would just lend their umbrella in this weather?'_

With a sigh, Suga let that particular question go unanswered and resigned himself to his fate. It wasn't that he wasn't grateful. He was actually very grateful for the umbrella, since it meant he'd be able to go home without having to run through the rain and risk getting sick. It was just the first week of classes and he really didn't want to have to skip on lessons and practice this early in the term. The only problem was…

' _How am I supposed to give her umbrella back? Or even thank her? I don't even know anything about her…'_

Everything had happened all so fast and she didn't really leave much room for him to complain, or to say anything, for that matter.

Another sigh escaped Suga's lips before he pushed the umbrella open, only to be surprised by just how bright the color was. He found himself staring at the yellow circle it became and eventually, a small smile began to pull on his lips. With how gloomy everything had become thanks to the weather, the striking yellow was a refreshing sight.

Suga's smile widened, a chuckle even escaping him despite the lack of anything remotely funny, as he pulled the umbrella over his head. It was like he had his own personal sun now. But before he stepped back into the downpour, he noticed something else attached to the umbrella's handle aside from the strap. It was a laminated tag. Suga pulled the tag closer to his face and after reading the writing on it, he raised his eyebrows. The tag had her name and contact details.

 _If found, please return to Miyamura Haruka_

 _XXX-XXXX-XXXX_

Apparently, the stranger he met was very fond of her belongings.


	2. Chapter 2

_Apparently, the stranger he met was very fond of her belongings._

=oOo=

With the sound of jingling dinnerware and running water, not to mention the echoes of the television coming from the living room where her brothers were watching, it was no wonder Haruka couldn't hear her phone ringing in the other room. Normally, she'd be able to hear her phone even if it was in the next room, given how loud it actually was and how catchy her ringtone was, but right now, Haruka was just too preoccupied with her chores. Luckily for her, Yuuichi wasn't as invested in the kids' show as the twins were and noticed just how noisy his sister's phone was.

"Nee-san," he called out as he got up from the couch and picked up the ringing mobile phone from where it sat on top of the coffee table. "Someone's calling you."

"Who is it?" Haruka hollered from inside the kitchen.

Yuuichi checked the caller ID and raised his eyebrows. "Unknown number!"

"Yuu-nii, shh!" the twins finally hissed, shooting their older brother identical, pouty glares. The two looked exactly the same, from the way their dark hair parted at the left and framed their round cheeks to how their wide eyes shone with pure innocence and wonder. The only way most people could tell them apart was by their eye color. One of them had brown eyes, while the other had gray eyes, not to too different from his older brother and sister.

Yuuichi wasn't the least bit fazed by the unnecessary shushing and made his way into the kitchen, only for Haruka's phone to abruptly go silent just as he stepped into the room. "Ei? Nee-san, they hung up." A few seconds after though, the phone beeped, and a notice appeared on the screen. "Looks like they left a message instead."

Shutting the water and stepping away from the sink, Haruka walked over to her younger brother and dried off her hands with the pale blue apron she had on before taking her phone. The teen noticed the string of numbers first and couldn't help but furrow her eyebrows. It wasn't a number she was familiar with.

' _Well, if they left a message, then I guess I can get back to it later… Wonder who this is though…'_

"Thanks Yuu," she instead hummed, deciding to address that particular question later, and then tilted her head to where the twins were sitting. "If those two are done with their pudding, get them ready for bed," she told him. "I'll clean up here."

The younger sibling cringed. Yuuichi didn't particularly like giving the twins a bath since it usually, if not always, ended up in a big, sudsy mess, but if he had to pick between a mass of bubbles and the sticky mess he knew the young ones made in the living room… Well, it was an easy decision to make. "Aye, aye," he sang before heading back to the next room. "Sakuya. Ikuya. Bath. Now."

A collective whine came from the two boys.

"Boys, listen to your brother," Haruka sang, slipping her phone into the pocket of her sweatpants and heading back to the sink where a few more pieces of dinnerware were waiting for her. She could hear the twins go on complaining and calling 'Haru-nee' in an effort to change her mind while Yuuichi turned off the television, but she knew well enough that they weren't really as difficult as they were noisy. "You boys be quiet on your way up, you hear? Gramps is probably already asleep," she reminded them, earning her a few murmurs in response before she heard the bathroom door close.

It didn't take long for Haru to finish up in the kitchen, and though it was a bit unpleasant wiping off the hardened syrup from the coffee table, she managed to clean up in the living room too. The teen then rewarded herself with a nice, warm bath of her own before getting to work on the little homework she had left to do. But since it wasn't that much and English was actually one of her strong suits…

' _Alright, let's find out what's up with you.'_

With a quick flick and a few taps, the message took up the whole screen of her phone.

 _[Unknown number]: Good evening. This is Sugawara Koushi, the guy you lent your umbrella to. Thanks for your help earlier. You're a real life saver. I tried calling, but I guess you were busy. Anyway, I was thinking you need your umbrella back soon, so I was wondering when I can give it back? Thanks again._

An image of the drenched, gray-haired boy came into Haruka's mind, and a small smile played on her lips as she tapped a reply, adding the number to her list of contacts.

 _[Miyamura Haruka]: Hi there. Sorry for the late response, but you're very much welcome. About the umbrella, there's no rush. Just tell me when you're free._

A thought then occurred to her, and Haru sent another message.

 _[Miyamura Haruka]: Btw, how'd you get my number?_

Not expecting a reply any time soon, the teen fished out her English notebook to finally get her homework over and done with, but as soon as she put her school supplies down, her phone beeped.

 _[Sugawara Koushi]: …There's a name tag on your umbrella?_

Haruka furrowed her eyebrows, confused.

' _There is?'_

Before Haruka could send the exact same question, or even think of an answer of her own, she received another message from Sugawara, causing her to delete what she had initially typed in and make a new response.

 _[Sugawara Koushi]: It looks like it'll keep on raining tomorrow, so I wanted to give it back as soon as possible… But I've got club activities in the morning._

 _[Miyamura Haruka]: My lil' bro and I've actually got club stuff tomorrow too. How 'bout we just meet up back at the bakery going? What time do you need to be there?_

 _[Sugawara Koushi]: …Five._

The girl's eyebrows shot up. She didn't really mind having to get up that early, since she always had to be up by that time to get lunch ready for her brothers and herself. Haruka was just surprised that club could start that early, and was also a bit grateful that her club didn't ask them to come at such an hour.

 _[Sugawara Koushi]: How about after school?_

Haru shook her head, her loose braid swinging behind her.

 _[Miyamura Haruka]: Not sure what time club ends. I've got some first years to whip into shape._

 _[Sugawara Koushi]: Same here. Friday then?_

 _[Sugawara Koushi]: Wait. You're not a freshman?_

At that, Haruka couldn't help but laugh. It was the usual reaction, but it was still amusing sometimes. Especially when the reaction came from a person like Sugawara. Though Haruka couldn't pinpoint why just yet, she was certain that he was a good person. Maybe it was how concerned he was with her not having an umbrella to use, and it had the teen thinking that maybe she should tell him there was a spare one lying around in her home somewhere.

 _[Miyamura Haruka]: Unless it's in the morning, I can't on Friday. It's the freshmen's assessment, so I dunno what time club would wrap up._

 _[Miyamura Haruka]: Saturday?_

 _[Miyamura Haruka]: And no, Sugawara-san. I am not a freshman. I'm actually a third year. You?_

 _[Sugawara Koushi]: Sorry, I didn't mean to offend. I'm a third year at Karasuno._

Haru paused.

"Tori…no?" she read out loud, not entirely sure if she read that right. "No, that's not right," she murmured as she took another look. "Ah, it's _Karasu_ no." Haruka wasn't all that familiar with the school even though the bus she took on her way to school would pass by somewhere near Karasuno, but she's heard some stories about the school from an old friend, particularly its men's volleyball team.

 _[Sugawara Koushi]: Saturday is fine if it's after club._

 _[Miyamura Haruka]: Saturday it is then. Time is after club… Place?_

 _[Miyamura Haruka]: Nah, I'm used to it. Don't worry 'bout it._

Just as she sent the two messages, an idea popped into her mind.

 _[Miyamura Haruka]: Oh wait. If you're coming from Karasuno, then I'll just drop by on the way home... That is, if you don't mind._

To Haruka's surprise, it took Sugawara some time before he answered. It wasn't an immediate reply, like the others, though he didn't take all that long to respond. It was just enough for the girl to remember that it was late, and that she had homework to do, and that the person she was talking to probably had stuff to do too.

 _[Sugawara Koushi]: If it's not out of the way, then that would work. Are you sure, Miyamura-san?_

 _[Miyamura Haruka]: Yeah. It's no big deal. The bus I take stops somewhere near Karasuno anyway._

Sugawara didn't answer right away again, and Haruka couldn't help but grab one of her pens and flip her notebook open to where homework was. Her phone then beeped again.

 _[Sugawara Koushi]: If it's alright with you, then I'm fine with it as well. There's a store at the base of the hill, right before the road that leads up to the campus. Let's just meet there? I'll treat you to something as thanks._

Haruka blinked, not really expecting the last line, and sent her reply.

 _[Miyamura Haruka]: You don't have to, Sugawara-san, really. I'm just glad I could help… Anyway, Saturday at Karasuno, after club. See you then._

 _[Sugawara Koushi]: Alright. See you on Saturday. Again, thanks for the umbrella._

 _[Miyamura Haruka]: No prob. Btw, it was nice meeting you, Sugawara-san._

 _[Sugawara Koushi]: It was nice to meet you too, Miyamura-san._

With the tone of finality in that last text, Haru went on to finally, _finally_ do her homework. But every few minutes, she'd find herself smiling at how things had turned out, just because of her umbrella. Unknown to her, Sugawara was in a similar state, sitting in front of his math homework with a smile of his own on his face.


	3. Chapter 3

_I'm having way too much fun with this._

* * *

 _Unknown to her, Sugawara was in a similar state, sitting in front of his math homework with a smile of his own on his face._

=oOo=

Haruka was feeling conflicted as she made her way through the rain and the school grounds, heading for the clubroom, though if she had to be honest, the issue she was feeling conflicted about wasn't such a big deal. Definitely not as big a deal as Yuuichi had made it seem earlier this morning before going to school, but then again, her brother had always had a penchant for the dramatic. Haru had indeed found a spare umbrella lying around somewhere at home, but it was an old one that had belonged to Yuuichi back when he was in elementary, back when he was very interested, near obsessed with space, aliens and the like.

It was an umbrella with spaceships, planets and aliens printed all over, complete with plastic molded and painted to resemble a simple space shuttle as the handle.

Haru couldn't remember where or when they had actually bought the umbrella, but it was still in pretty good shape. It was something either Sakuya or Ikuya could probably still use if they took a liking to it, actually, but that was for when they were a little older and less inclined to randomly swing things around. That said, Haruka hadn't been too keen on using it, so she had insisted that Yuuichi use it for the day while she, in turn, used his plain red one.

Needless to say, her younger brother didn't like the idea on bit, and when Yuuichi had picked up his umbrella and made a run for it, Haruka didn't really have any other choice. She didn't regret helping Sugawara though, that much was sure.

' _Well, it's actually pretty cute if you think about it, but it's not really something a high school student would use…'_

"Good morning, Haru-chan! Nice umbrella!"

The raven-haired teen stopped in her tracks and sighed at the familiar voice, bracing herself for whatever form impact would take as she turned around.

'… _except maybe him.'_

"I don't really want to hear that from you, Tooru," she weakly chuckled as Aoba Johsai's renowned setter made his way towards her, Iwaizumi right behind him. Seeing the setter, however, reminded Haruka of the problem she had been facing when it came to this year's batch of freshmen, and it dampened her mood by a bit. At the sight of her classmate though, Haruka managed a sincere smile and a wave. "Good morning, Hajime-kun."

"Mornin', Haruka," he greeted back, nodding before pointing at his classmate's umbrella and smirking. "Nice umbrella."

Rolling her eyes, the girl sighed. "Not you too."

"But it really is!" Oikawa insisted with a large grin on his face. "It's so cool!"

"The fact that you actually mean that doesn't make me feel any better," Haru murmured before gesturing for the three of them to keep on moving. After all, they were heading the same way, and it wouldn't help any of them if they were late since Haruka had the keys to the clubroom, and the two boys likely had the keys to theirs.

"So what's with the new umbrella?" the wing spiker asked, eliciting another heavy breath from his classmate.

"It's more like an old one," she told them. "This was Yuuichi's, back in elementary."

Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. "Why're you using that then?"

"I ran into a friend on my way home last night," she began to explain with a small shrug of her shoulders. "He forgot his umbrella and Yuuichi was on the way home anyway, so I let him borrow mine and I just waited for Yuuichi to pick me up."

"That's so typical of you, Haru-chan," Oikawa hummed. "You're always so nice."

"Again, I don't really think I like hearing that from you, Tooru," Haruka replied, only to realize a moment later that she might have been a little too rude with that last one, and Haru knew just exactly why she was being snippy with Oikawa. Truth be told, she and the boys' setter got along fine, and if there were times they'd be at odds, it would usually be Oikawa who was annoyed with Haru, not the other way around. "Sorry. Seeing your face is annoying me lately."

"Don't worry about it, Haruka," Iwaizumi assured her. "Everyone's annoyed with his face."

"That's so mean, Iwa-chan!" the setter whined before turning to Haruka. "Haru-chan, I thought you were my friend."

Oikawa's predictable response somehow lightened Haruka's mood, and she managed a small giggle. "Can you blame me though?" she asked. "Coach asked me to keep an eye on the first years, but they just keep on asking about you whenever they get the chance." A sigh then escaped the girl, her shoulders sagging. "And they ask me, even though I'm not in you class… If they want answers, then they should be asking Saori."

Iwaizumi couldn't help but feel sorry for his classmate, having already experienced firsthand what his best friend's charisma could lead to. It didn't help either that Haruka obviously had a soft spot for her underclassmen. "It's just because you're so approachable," he told her. "Try being a little more firm with them, like Saruhiko or Kobashigawa."

"But Iwa-chan, it's kinda difficult to be intimidated by someone so short," Oikawa sang. "Right Haru-chan? Oh, but you can get pretty scary too when your patience finally runs out."

Before her classmate could reprimand the setter, Haruka nodded. "That commentary wasn't necessary, but I can't say that's not a factor," she admitted, her shoulders sagging as the words left her lips. "I don't want to resort to scaring the first years though. I'm leaving that to Misaki…" A deep breath and she straightened her back again. "Well, hopefully, your novelty will wear off soon."

"Maybe I should drop by your-"

"Don't you dare skip training to mess with another team's practice, Trashykawa," Iwaizumi grunted, sending a glare over to his best friend, while Haruka couldn't help but snicker at the insult thrown. Oikawa didn't dare finish his sentence at that point, and content with his silence, the wing spiker turned back to his classmate. "If it makes you feel any better, I'm sure it's just a phase. I heard from Saotome that you've got some talented first years."

At that, a smile pulled on Haruka's lips, a sense of pride and confidence welling up in her chest. "That's right," she chirped, nodding. "They're being difficult right now, thanks to you-" Haru pointedly glanced at Oikawa. "-but if they can pull themselves together, they'll give us a big boost in attack power." She then returned her gaze to the boys' ace. "Aoi's cramps finally let up too so – you have sisters so don't give me that look – so practice should be going a lot smoother now..." Rolling her eyes, Haruka added, "Anyway, I heard some tall guys from Kita-Ichi joined you. Aren't you guys from Kita-Ichi too?"

The setter nodded. "We actually got to be in the same team, back in junior high," he hummed. "Remember, Iwa-chan?"

"That's nice," the raven-haired teen chimed. "Some familiar faces should make it easier for them to fit in." A pause and then the girl shot the setter another pointed look. "Not your face though."

"Miyamura-senpai!"

Haruka blinked and turned to where the voice came from. Apparently, they had made it all the way to the clubroom building, and up on the second floor, she could see several of the freshmen standing by in front of their clubroom, waiting for one of their seniors to unlock the door for them and be able to change for practice.

"Look, look! Miyamura-san is with Oikawa-senpai and Iwaizumi-senpai!"

"Oikawa-senpai!"

"Good morning, Oikawa-senpai!"

"Good morning. How are you girls doing today?" the setter chimed, managing a few waves before Seijoh's ace began dragging him along so they could unlock their own clubroom.

Haru, on the other hand, shook her head at her giddy underclassmen. "It's too early for this, ladies," she hollered up to them.

"Wah, look at Miyamura-san's umbrella!"

"Miyamura-senpai, that's adorable!"

"Take a picture! Take a picture!"

"It's _definitely_ too early for this…" the third year murmured as she resigned herself to her fate. Haruka heaved another sigh, making her way up the stairs to unlock the clubroom and hopefully get some peace.

=oOo=

 _[Miyamura Haruka]: I've finally lost what little respect my underclassmen have for me, so you'll have to pull through with treating me to something, Sugawara-san._

 _[Miyamura Haruka]: Apparently, it's hard to be intimidating when I'm carrying an umbrella with spaceships and aliens printed all over it. Lol._

 _[Miyamura Haruka]: I like taiyaki, btw. The one with custard in them._

Koushi's eyes grew wide in surprise at the unexpected messages he received, and immediately found himself trying to stifle his laughter as he imagined someone like Miyamura carrying something he was definitely sure was made for kids. According to the timestamp on the messages, he had received them a few hours ago, right when he had been in the middle of classes. Not wanting to be rude, he planned on sending a response to his newfound friend, but Daichi was already calling him from outside the classroom for afternoon practice.

' _Taiyaki, huh…'_

"Say, Daichi, do you know a place that sells taiyaki?" Suga asked, after thinking about Miyamura's request for a while, as the two of them headed for the clubroom. With his phone in hand, the setter typed in a short message and sent it to her.

 _[Sugawara Koushi]: I'll see what I can do._

"Taiyaki?" Sawamura echoed, surprised and confused by the question. When his best friend nodded, the wing spiker looked up in thought, wondering where indeed one could find taiyaki around the area. "Isn't there a place that sells those near the bus stop?" he answered, unsure, before chuckling. "Don't tell me you're already hungry, Suga. We haven't even started practice yet."

Koushi let out a few chuckles of his own as he waved a hand to dismiss the question. "No, no," he replied. "It's for a friend… You think they're open on Saturdays?"

The captain of the Karasuno boys' volleyball team shrugged. "I don't know," he murmured. "Huh, now that I think about it, we pass by that place when we head home, don't we?"

The setter blinked. "I never really noticed it." Suga then smiled. "Maybe I'll check it out later then."


	4. Chapter 4

" _Maybe I'll check it out later then."_

=oOo=

With one of his hands resting on his hip, Tooru quickly read the contents of the note he was holding up with his other hand in front of his face. One of his eyebrows rose, more out of surprise than actual concern. After a deep breath, he headed back to his team to make an announcement. "Everyone, can I have your attention for a minute?" he called out, waving about the note in the air. The note had been from their coaches who were both unable to attend Friday's afternoon practice due to a meeting and had been delivered to him instead by someone from his class.

"What's that?" Iwaizumi asked as he, followed by several members of the volleyball club, approached Tooru. The setter didn't bother answering and just handed over the note to his best friend. He gave him a few moments to read it while the rest of the members assembled around the two of them, and once he was certain a good number were already paying attention, Tooru relayed their coaches' message.

"So," he began in a chipper tone. "Coach says we're going to have a practice match tomorrow morning, against the girls. It'll be done here, at eleven, and we'll be using our net." The news had come as a surprise for the freshmen, but for the second and third years, their reactions were completely different.

"Oikawa, did you pick a fight with Saruhiko again?" Hanamaki asked from behind the crowd that had formed.

Tooru scoffed. "I did _not._ "

"Don't tell me you bullied Miyamura," Matsukawa called. "Because if you did, you're on your own."

"Why would I ever bully Haru-chan?" the setter shot back. "The two of us are _friends_."

"You _did_ call her short yesterday," Iwaizumi reminded him.

"Iwa-chan! If anything, Haru-chan was bullying me, _me_."

"To Oikawa-san's defense, Miyamura-san doesn't actually mind being called short, right Watari?" Yahaba interjected before turning to the team's libero who nodded as a response, albeit a bit surprised that he had been dragged into the discussion.

"Thank you, Yahaba, Watacchi," Tooru gratefully stated, nodding at the two second years before addressing the team as a whole again. "Anyway, coach says to let Kindaichi and Kunimi play." The two freshmen straightened their backs at the mention of their names. "He thinks it'll be good practice for the both of you, and a good opportunity to get used to the team."

"Yes," the two of them responded. "Thank you very much!"

"I'm certain not everyone is familiar with girls' volleyball team," their ace stated, taking over to give the team an idea of who their opponent was. "But just like our team, they belong to the four top performing teams in the prefecture for the girls' division. What's more, they actually managed to represent Miyagi during the last Spring Tournament, and even when their third years had already retired. That should tell you just how strong they are, so don't even think of going easy on them. They'll just eat you alive."

Matsukawa looked up in thought, crossing his arms over his chest and grabbing his chin with one hand. "Come to think of it, what's the score?"

"Nineteen, eighteen, in the girls' favor," Hanamaki answered.

"Score?" Kindaichi echoed. Kunimi, on the other hand, simply raised an eyebrow while maintaining an overall indifferent expression.

Yahaba, who had been standing right next to the two freshmen, nodded and explained. "Oikawa-san and the others have always had this friendly rivalry with the girls' third years since they were in first year, apparently," he told them. "So they take scores whenever they get the chance to play against each other. It doesn't help that their coach and Coach Mizoguchi are pretty competitive too." The second year then heaved a sigh as he shrugged. "It's really just for bragging rights though…"

"But it's still good practice," Watari added, overhearing the conversation between Kindaichi and Yahaba. "We actually give each other pointers and lend each other a hand whenever we can. They're difficult opponents, but they're all really nice."

"Except Saruhiko-san," Yahaba stated.

Watari couldn't help but nod, offering an awkward smile at them. He didn't want to speak ill of any of his seniors, but he couldn't bring himself to defend the girl in question. "Except Saruhiko-san," he repeated.

Kindaichi's eyebrows shot up. "You mean the girl Hanamaki-san mentioned?" he asked.

The second year setter nodded. "She's a third year and the girls' ace," Yahaba informed him. "She's not the easiest person to get along with, but as long as you stay on her good side, she's decent." The brunette then blinked, realizing that there was an easier way to avoid Saruhiko's ire. "If you can't do that, then at the very least get on their libero's good side. Miyamura-san will protect you."

"Miyamura-san?" the first year repeated, remembering that his upperclassmen had mentioned the name as well.

The boys' libero nodded. "The best senpai you could ever ask for."

Yahaba agreed. "An angel that walks the earth."

"But she's a real problem for our spikers whenever we play against them. The girls already have a great defense on their own, but Miyamura-san just won't let the ball drop on their side of the court," Watari added, chuckling a bit having already seen several times just how skilled his fellow libero was. "I guess that's expected though. Miyamura-san was the libero of a powerhouse school in Tokyo back when she was in junior high, and I'm pretty sure her team won Nationals at least once while she was there."

Kunimi, who had been passively listening all the while, then decided to speak up. "It sounds like she was doing great in Tokyo… Why is she all the way out here in Miyagi?"

"I heard from someone that it had something to do with her family…" the libero replied, albeit a bit more quietly, not at all comfortable with talking about his upperclassman's personal life. "…but aside from that, I don't know… Anyway, she's in Iwaizumi-san's class, just in case you need any help with anything. Literally anything. I sometimes ask her to help me out with my English homework."

"Even with studying?" Kindaichi piped, and his two upperclassmen just nodded again.

"An _angel_ ," Yahaba repeated.

"Since you guys are on the topic of the girls' players…" Iwaizumi interrupted as he evenly stared at the group of boys that had been actually talking louder than they thought. "I think it'll do some good for Kindaichi and Kunimi to know who we're playing…"

Oikawa threw the second years a peace sign. "We'll leave that to you, Yahaba, Watacchi," the third year sang before clapping his hands together. "That's everything, so you can all go back to practice."

"Y-Yes!" Yahaba and Watari stammered before everyone scattered to continue with their respective training. As for the two, however, they dragged Kindaichi and Kunimi, along with a few other interested freshmen, to one side of the gym and gave them a brief description of the members of the girls' team.

Kobashigawa Ayame, a third year that served as the girls' captain and official setter.

Saotome Saori, a third year that was classmates with the boys' Oikawa Tooru, and was the team's vice-captain as well as one of their middle blockers.

Saruhiko Misaki, a third year that played wing spiker and was considered the girls' ace.

Miyamura Haruka, Iwaizumi's classmate and friend which served as their official libero.

Sawashiro Kotori and Nakamura Chiyo, second year middle blockers.

Ishikawa Reina, a second year setter.

Akesaka Momo and Tanizaki Aoi, second year wing spikers.

Sighing, Yahaba crossed his arms. "Well, that's what's left over from their Spring Tournament lineup, anyway," he told them. "According to Nakamura, they've also got some great first years, and their coach wants to add them to the team. She says their first years have this evaluation today, and she's guessing their coach'll complete their lineup based on the results."

"You know a lot about the girls' team, don't you, Yahaba-san?" Kindaichi couldn't help but say, and the second year just shrugged.

"Nakamura's in my class, and she loves to talk."

=oOo=

Meanwhile, in the second gymnasium, a similar discussion was being held. The freshmen had already finished their basic skills assessment, and after consulting with the girls' regular players, Coach Aranami Hikari had finalized the team's lineup for the next tournament. Aranami called for the club members to gather around and gave them the details about Saturday's practice match with the boys' team.

"And taking into account how the first years performed at today's drills…" their coach continued on as she finished off writing on the wheeled dry erase board she had asked one of the girls to bring out. "I've decided that this will be our official lineup." She then stepped away from the board, revealing a list of names. Aside from the nine ladies that participated in the last Spring Tournament, three more names were listed.

Fujimiya Nozomi, a first year wing spiker.

Andou Sachiko, a first year middle blocker.

Ohara Fumiko, a first year libero.

"For tomorrow's practice match, I want the freshmen to play," the coach added as she gestured to the diagram drawn beside the list of names. The three freshmen in question blinked and took a closer look at the diagram. It was Tanizaki, Andou and Kobashigawa in the front, and Saruhiko, Saotome and Fujimiya at the back, with Ohara as the libero. "I just want to know how you hold up against Oikawa and his team, so don't think about it too hard," she assured them. "Your senpais are going to be there to help you out."

Everyone nodded in understanding, and with that, Aranami let the girls go back to practice. Needless to say, the freshmen were caught off guard by the news, while the older players began murmuring amongst themselves, wondering why a practice match was scheduled out of the blue.

"I bet it was Saruhiko-san again," Tanizaki dryly stated as she pinned a volleyball against her hip with an arm.

"Misaki, did you bully Oikawa again?" Saotome asked, exasperated and not wanting to have to cover for her friend yet again.

"Wha- I did _not_ ," Saruhiko huffed as she planted her hands firmly on her hips.

Sawashiro heaved a sigh. "Did you bully _any_ of the guys, Saruhiko-san?"

"If Misaki said she didn't do anything, then she didn't do anything," Kobashigawa said, to their wing spiker's defense.

"But it's not like Ayame-senpai or Saotome-san would challenge the guys," Ishikawa murmured.

"Why aren't I being suspected?" Haruka asked.

"Because no one can pick a fight with you, senpai," Akesaka bluntly told her, and the short third year blinked.

"…Thanks, I guess?"

"But don't you guys take score or something?" Nakamura cut in.

"Well, yeah," Saruhiko grumbled, crossing her arms. "But it doesn't change the fact that we're going to crush those boys."

The vice-captain shook her head. "So it _was_ you."

"Was _not._ "

"But if it wasn't any of us then…?" Ishikawa wondered aloud. The answer that echoed in their minds was all the same as they turned to where their coach was entertaining a club member's question.

' _It was Coach Aranami and Coach Mizoguchi wasn't it?'_


	5. Chapter 5

_Re-upload, because apparently I clicked on the wrong document._

* * *

' _It was Coach Aranami and Coach Mizoguchi wasn't it?'_

=oOo=

Having been the official libero of the Aoba Johsai girls' volleyball team for the past three years, Haruka was understandably unnerved with being benched during the practice match against Oikawa's team. It wasn't that she was bothered by her underclassman taking her place, but it was more of not wanting to miss a moment of getting to play than anything else. Volleyball was a big part of her life that Haru couldn't imagine living without, after all, but if she had to say anything about Ohara taking her place, she'd only say that she was happy for her. Truth be told, Haru was actually relieved that there was another libero on the team. As a third year, this would be her last year playing, and she had been concerned ever since that no one would be able to make up for the overall lack of blocking height their team had. At least with Ohara, a libero since her junior high, next year's team would still have a solid defense, and Haru could breathe a little easier.

 _'But since it's Ohara...'_

The one worry Haruka had regarding about the new libero, if it could even be considered a point of concern, was that the freshman was perhaps a little too... timid.

 _'Not that there's anything wrong with being a little shy... Everyone gets shy, some more so than others. I just hope it doesn't reflect on the court, what with her new team and all...'_

"Miyamura-san, you're not playing?"

The raven-haired teen blinked and turned her gray eyes towards the owner of the voice, coming face to face with a tall setter with wispy brown hair. "Ah, Yahaba," she hummed, smiling. "No, not today." She then tilted her head to the boys' side of the court, gesturing to the two unfamiliar faces. "You've got some tall first years again, huh? You guys aren't making this easy for us."

At that, Yahaba couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Oikawa-san always complains that you give us hell," he replied. "We're just returning the favor." The setter's attention was then diverted back to the court when the whistle blew, signaling the beginning of the match, the match itself kicking off with Oikawa's serve.

A low whistle escaped Haruka as she crossed her arms and watched the first ball fly by untouched, landing in the space between Fujimiya and Ohara. An easy first point for the boys, while leaving the girls' freshmen rattled. "Tooru's serves get more and more intense whenever I see him," she mused, equal parts impressed, excited and concerned for their new libero. Oikawa's weren't serves just anyone could pick up, after all. "I'd love to try and receive some of those…"

The whistle blew again, and another serve passed over the net, this time, Ohara managing to get it up, albeit a bit short.

Haruka blinked, Yahaba reacting just as surprised as she was. "Oh, she got it this time around," she squeaked.

 _'Looks like I didn't need to be so worried...'_

"Sorry!" the freshman grunted as she watched the ball go up.

"Cover, cover!" Fujimiya then called out just as Ayame ran up to where the ball was and tossed it over to Tanizaki who scored with a wipe off of Iwaizumi and Kindaichi's block.

"Thanks, Ayame-senpai!"

"Nice kill, Tanizaki!"

Yahaba raised an eyebrow. "I thought she was going for a straight… Tanizaki's starting off cautious, huh?"

Haruka considered the question for a moment before answering. "There's nothing wrong with being a little careful," she hummed. "Besides, even _I'd_ play it safe if I had Hajime-kun blocking me… And Misaki's probably the only one who can break through your guys' blocks." A sigh. "For the rest of us, we need to think of other ways to get around a block and score a point."

Neither team managed to get a significant lead in the first few rallies, but it was obvious that the girls were having a hard time in keeping the other team from widening the gap between their scores. So it didn't come as much of a surprise to Haruka when the boys ended up taking the first set.

"Don't worry about that," Coach Aranami huffed, gathering the seven girls circled around her after switching courts, making it extra clear to the freshmen who had deep frowns on their faces. "All we have to do is get this set and the next. It's been a while since we last played against the boys, so you're all still adjusting… But by now, I'm pretty sure you're more or less used to their hits, right?" The girls nodded. "Good." Aranami then turned to the first years. "Ohara, Fujimiya, Andou."

The three girls stiffened. "Yes?"

"You ladies are doing great, given this is your first time playing against Oikawa and his team," she stated in a warmer tone, and the freshmen in question visibly lightened up. "Just keep the ball up, and we'll be able to form our counterattack."

"Yes Coach!" the trio replied, their confidence restored.

A new set began, and after the players got into position, the set kicked off with Oikawa's serve. The ball went over the net, fast and strong, but Ohara quickly stepped up for the receive, avoiding a repeat of what happened in the first set and sending it over to their captain. Kobashigawa, in turn, tossed the ball to Andou who managed to score first with a feint.

For the second set, the girls were doing considerably better in handling their opponents, gaining an early lead with a score of eleven, eight. By that time, it was Tanizaki's turn to serve, and she sent the ball over to the other side with a jump serve that headed straight for Iwaizumi. The girls in the front line readied for an attack either from Hanamaki or Matsukawa, but then Watari jumped up from the back line.

In the sidelines, Haruka couldn't help but smile guiltily.

' _Watari's gotten a lot better with his tosses… but I have to admit it's an annoying trick when he uses it against us.'_

Watari tossed the ball over to Oikawa, and having thrown off the girls' block, spiked full on. Ohara rushed in to save the ball, but the libero misjudged the distance and the poor girl ended up receiving the ball with her face when she tried to reach it.

Haruka's eyes grew wide. Ohara stumbled back a few steps, a hand covering her face, before she finally lost her balance and landed on the floor on her butt.

' _That's not good...'_

"Cover, cover!"

Kobashigawa quickly chased after the ball and tossed it over to Saruhiko who went in for a quick, scoring with a quick attack that bounced off Hanamaki's block and sending the ball out of bounds. However, the girls' captain, as well as Tanizaki and Fujimiya, had already rushed over to where their libero had fallen over before the ball had even landed on the ground.

"Ohara!" Kobashigawa worriedly called out as she gently tried to pry away the girl's hand from her face to get a better look. Eventually, the setter managed to remove Ohara's hand, only for her breakfast to threaten to come up her throat at the sight of blood dripping from their libero's nose. Swallowing the bile back down, she shook her head and asked the younger teen again. "Ohara, can you stand? Are you dizzy?"

It took a few seconds, but Ohara eventually opened her brown eyes and gazed up at her seniors, shaking her head. "I'm… I'm alright, senpai. Sorry," she murmured just as their Coach Aranami called for a time out and had the team step off the court to take a look for herself just how bad the freshman got it. "I just…"

"You're going to the infirmary," Aranami stated, making no room for questions as she gestured for Haruka and Nakamura to come over, the latter of the two carrying a pack of tissue with her for the bleeding libero. "Miyamura, you're going in. Nakamura, have Ohara checked out," she told the girls while Nakamura handed the injured libero a few sheets of tissue paper to control the bleeding with. The two ladies nodded and as the second year middle blocker helped Ohara out of the gym, Haruka headed back to the rest of the team, pinning her fringe back over her head with two bobby pins.

"Ohara's going to be fine, right?" Fujimiya asked, understandably worried for her fellow freshman. She and Andou had already had the chance one of Iwaizumi's spikes, and they knew just how much power was behind it.

"Her nose is bleeding, but it doesn't look like it's anything serious," Saotome answered, seeing as Ohara was still able to exchange a few shy chuckles with Nakamura as they left the gym. The middle blocker had opted not to join the other girls in attending to Ohara. Partly because crowding the girl wouldn't do any good, but mostly because someone needed to keep an eye on their ace so she wouldn't go blurting out terrible nonsense. Thankfully, Saruhiko was reasonable enough to know Iwaizumi hadn't intended for the ball to hit Ohara's face and had simply stood by just in case her help was needed.

Saotome then turned to their captain who appeared pale. "What about you, Ayame? If you're feeling queasy, Reina can cover for you."

Kobashigawa waved off the taller girl's worries with a hand. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

"To think our captain gets sick at the sight of blood…" Tanizaki sighed, shaking her head and crossing her arms over her chest. "You'd wonder how she gets by every month."

Fujimiya and Andou blinked. "Ei?"

"Very funny, Aoi," Kobashigawa sighed, rolling her eyes, just as the referee whistled for the continuation of the match. The girls went back onto the court, and after Aranami informed the boys' coaches and the referee about Ohara's case, Haruka went in to replace the first year. "We'll be counting on those nice receives, Haruka," the setter chuckled, reaching a hand out for a quick high five as Tanizaki stepped back again into the service area.

Haruka grinned and gave her captain a high five. "Don't worry," she sang. "That ball's gotta land somewhere, and I ain't gonna let it land here."

For Kobashigawa, Saotome, Saruhiko and Tanizaki, her promise had them smirking, knowing full well that their libero would deliver.

For Oikawa, Iwaizumi, Hanamaki, Matsukawa and Watari, her statement had them grumbling, more than certain that the match had become more difficult to win.

For Fujimiya, Andou, Kindaichi and Kunimi, her words had them thinking…

' _So cool…'_

=oOo=

"So what does that make it now?" Haruka couldn't help but laugh as she fell into step with Iwaizumi, both the practice match and the teams' respective training having ended. Both teams were on their way home, and it would have been a peaceful walk out of the Aoba Johsai campus if it hadn't been for the ruckus a good number of the third years were causing. After how the match had ended, calls for a rematch were expected, and Haru just found it amusing how debates like these were a given.

Iwaizumi himself snickered as well. "Ninteen all," he replied.

"Don't look so depressed, Misa-chan," Haru could hear Oikawa taunt Saruhiko, the latter looking like she was one step away from spiking a ball into the setter's face. "Better luck next time… but I'm pretty sure we'll be winning that too."

"Now, now, Oikawa," Kobashigawa hummed, the smile on the female setter's face promising that there would be hell to pay next time they played against each other. "Don't talk like you've actually gotten ahead when you've only just managed to catch up."

"Shots fired," Saotome quipped from behind, but before the boys' captain could retort, one of his own teammates responded to the comment.

"That was a good burn," Matsukawa conceded, nodding, and Oikawa turned around to face the middle blocker.

"Whose side are you on, Mattsun?!"

"Don't worry… I already have Matsukawa's order," Hanamaki stated. "With gyoza, right?" When Matsukawa nodded, the wing spiker then turned back to their captain and vice-captain. "What are you guys having, Oikawa, Iwaizumi?"

Saruhiko scowled. "Damn it," she cursed. "And I've been meaning to get a new pair of kneepads… Where are we eating anyway?"

"Ah, sorry guys, but I'll have to pass on this one," Haruka called out, raising a hand and gaining the attention of the rest of the third years, most especially her teammates who had all stopped and turned to glare at the shorter teen with varying intensities of looks of betrayal on their faces. Having known the young ladies for the two years, Haru already knew why they were scowling at her like that.

"Oh no you're not!" Saruhiko exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at her. "You're not ditching penalty while my savings take a blow!"

' _And there it is…'_

Saotome shot the slightly shorter wing spiker a look. "Misaki, we're just buying them ramen, not a house."

"Penalty?" Ohara repeated, curiosity getting the best of her as she turned to her fellow libero and teammate.

Sighing, Miyamura nodded and offered a small smile. "Whoever loses buys ramen. It's just this thing we do, so you don't have to worry about it," she explained before getting back to the others. "And no, I'm not ditching. I'm giving my share, but I can't go eat with you guys." To prove her point, Haru pulled out her wallet, took a few bills out and handed them over to Iwaizumi. "We lost fair and square, so you boys knock yourselves out… Ohara and I will be going on ahead." Ohara, coincidentally, took the same bus as Haruka and lived near Karasuno High School, and Haru had earlier asked if she could tag along, to which the freshman had agreed.

Oikawa raised an eyebrow. "Ei? You're not joining us, Haru-chan? Why?"

Kobashigawa offered a knowing smile. "Your brothers need you back?"

"Nah," the raven-haired teen replied, waving a hand to push away the thought. "Yuuichi's in charge of dinner tonight so I'm off the hook this time… I'm just meeting up with a friend."

"Alright," her captain hummed as the lot of them reached the road outside Seijoh's grounds where a bus stop stood nearby. "You guys take care on your way home. We'll see you on Monday." The two liberos nodded and waved them good bye until the group of seven third year students disappeared when they rounded the corner. Once their friends had left their field of vision, Haruka and Ohara waited for the next bus that'd take them to Karasuno, the older of the two already striking up a conversation to entertain themselves while they wait.

It didn't take long for the bus to arrive, but by the time the two liberos had reached the Karasuno area, the sky was already a much deeper shade of orange than it was when they had left their Aoba Johsai. After giving a few quick directions, Ohara bid farewell to her senior and headed home. Haruka had no problem understanding the younger teen's instructions. According to her teammate, the school was on top of a hill, so it would be hard to miss, and when the third year made a right at the fourth corner, the raven-haired teen completely understood what her underclassman meant. Even from a distance, Haru could clearly see the school buildings. Given, Karasuno wasn't as grand a school as a private school like Aoba Johsai was, but from her vantage point, it did leave a certain impression.

 _'The view from up there must be really nice...'_

After a few more minutes of walking along the inclined street, Haru noticed the road split into two. One continued up the hill, curving ever so slightly, while the other cut to the right. A quick peak down the latter showed the libero that it led up directly to Karasuno. The raven-haired teen then pulled out her phone, scrolled through her messages to double check where she and Sugawara were supposed to meet.

 _[Sugawara Koushi]: If it's alright with you, then I'm fine with it as well. There's a store at the base of the hill, right before the road that leads up to the campus. Let's just meet there? I'll treat you to something as thanks._

Haruka tore her gaze away from the screen and took a good look around.

 _'A store, a store, a store...'_

Gray eyes then spotted a sign that read 'Sakanoshita Store' and the teen assumed that it must be what the boy was talking about. Just to make sure, she sent Sugawara a text message to let him know she was already nearby.

 _[Miyamura Haruka]: Hey there. I'm already at Karasuno. I'll be waiting at the Sakanoshita Store._

Once the message was sent, Haruka decided to step in and see what she could munch on while she waited. After all, she didn't want to starve while knowing her friends were out getting ramen.


	6. Chapter 6

_After all, she didn't want to starve while knowing her friends were out getting ramen._

=oOo=

In an effort to delay the onset of hunger Haruka knew a day's worth of volleyball practice would call for, the libero bought herself a packet of unsalted crackers. Not the most ideal thing to snack on while she was borderline tired, but Haru didn't want to eat anything too filling. Her brother was cooking tonight, and Yuuichi always did his best to put something edible on the table that _wasn't_ meat to make his older sister happy. His preference of meat over a balanced diet was something she had repeatedly harped him over, and now that he had started understanding the value of vegetables in the food he cooks and eats, Haruka didn't want to reverse his progress by skipping dinner and letting his effort go to waste.

Crackers in one hand and her phone in the other, Haru settled herself on the sidewalk outside the store, preferring the cool, early evening air swirling about as a gentle breeze outside over the cigarette smoke-laced warmth the shop provided. After quickly popping a cracker into her mouth, the teen busied herself with her phone and replied to a few messages that had come from her old friend in Tokyo. What started off as a few short messages then turned into a long conversation as she and her friend caught up on the recent happenings in each other's lives.

Haruka would slip another cracker through her lips every now and again, but her attention was fully focused on her phone. The only time she had averted her gaze from the screen was when a stray orange tabby wandered close. She had convinced it come closer, using a cracker as lure, and managed to take a picture of it to send to her friend. She had expected the feline to leave her after giving it food, but instead, it decided to keep her company, sitting down beside the teen's feet and patiently waiting for more crackers to be sent its way.

For the most part, the libero didn't mind having another mouth to feed, but it did distract her from her phone and had her pay attention to the time. According to the watch strapped around her wrist, she had already spent a little over half an hour sitting on the road side for Sugawara.

Her eyebrows pulled together and a soft sight slipped her lips as she pocketed her phone and ran a hand over the stray's smooth coat. At this point, the cat didn't mind the contact, probably because it was eating more than she was, but Haru didn't really mind, the ball of fur already having grown on her.

'… _Sugawara-san sure is taking a long time though… But then again, after practice is pretty vague…'_

A weak chuckle escaped the libero.

"I guess that one's on me, huh?" she thought aloud, causing the cat she was with to pause and stare at her curiously with its olivine eyes. Haru reached for the packet to grab another cracker, but the plastic only crumpled in her hand, already empty, and all she could do was smile apologetically at the feline. "Sorry buddy, but I'm all out."

The cat mewled.

"No, really, I'm out," Haruka insisted, lifting up the empty piece f transparent plastic for the furball to see. "See?"

Another mew.

"I'm not buying another one for you," she huffed, but as a response, the kitten began rubbing against the libero's side. "Don't get too ahead of yourself. We just met."

Before the cat could make another attempt to change Haru's mind, a few voices echoed from up the street and Haruka looked up to see if one of them belonged to Sugawara, but all she saw was three boys heading home from school dressed in identical black tracksuits.

'… _Sugawara-san wore something like those, right? Maybe they know him…?'_

=oOo=

It had only been by chance, completely unintentional, but when Ennoshita Chikara's eyes wandered from the road in front of him and picked up on mass of black and white curled up in front of the foothill store, his dark brown eyes met large gray ones, curiosity shining behind them. On the sidewalk was girl, of all things, sitting with her knees pulled up under her chin, a white and blue bag and an orange cat lying right beside her. The fact that she was looking back at him had him stopping in his tracks, but what kept him from taking a step forward and leaving the girl behind was the sense of familiarity he got from her.

It didn't help either that she wouldn't look away.

"Ennoshita?" Nartia called out, but even then the wing spiker didn't break eye contact with the girl, especially when the sound of his name made her blink. From the corner of his eye, Chikara could see his classmate approach him. "Someone you know?"

Chikara pulled his eyebrows together.

' _Do I know her?'_

"I think?" was his uncertain reply, finally turning away to face his teammate.

"What's the hold up?" Kinoshita asked, already a few meters away, having completely ignored the girl in front of the store.

At that point, Ennoshita made a split second decision. "You guys go ahead," he told Narita.

The middle blocker raised his eyebrows. "Are you gonna talk to her?"

"Yeah," he quietly answered, shrugging slightly. "Who knows? Maybe she's just lost or something?"

"You sure?"

"Oi! Ennoshita! Narita!"

Kinoshita's impatience made up the two boys' mind.

"I'll see you guys on Monday," Ennoshita hummed. Nodding, Narita said his goodbye and tried to catch up with the other wing spiker who had apparently decided to go on ahead. Once the two continued on their way home, Chikara quietly approached the girl. She had already shifted her attention to the stray, a hand ruffling its coat and a faint smile on her lips. He wasn't quite sure how he'd strike up a conversation with her, stopping a few feet in front of her, only for his worries to be cut short when she spoke up with a voice and tone that pulled on something in the back of his mind.

"You sure you should be leaving your friends like that, Chika?"

' _Chika? How'd she- Where'd she-'_

His gaze then fell on her bright smile, pure and uninhibited, and then…

It clicked.

"Oh no."

Apparently, the reaction wasn't what the girl was expecting, and she quickly stood up, a pout already replacing her smile and the cat she had been playing with scampering away.

"What do you mean 'oh no'?" she huffed, pointing an accusing finger at the wing spiker. "It's been ages since the last time we saw each other, and the first thing that you say is 'oh no'? You have _some_ nerve. Do it again, do it again."

Despite her turn of phrase, the way the corners of her lips twitched and the spark of mischief in her eyes assured Chikara that he hadn't really offended the raven-haired teen. Regardless, he didn't want on-lookers, if there were any, to think that he was arguing with a girl whose full height barely reached his shoulders, so he conceded.

"Alright," he quietly chuckled. "Long time no see, Haru."

"Better," Haruka stated, nodding in approval before her warm smile reappeared. "Yeah, it's been a long while, hasn't it?" This time, Chikara nodded. "How've you been? ...And are you sure your friends don't mind ditching them like that for a girl?"

Chikara snorted. "They'll be okay if I explain," he assured her. "I've been good… What about you? You moved to Tokyo, didn't you? What're you doing back here in Miyagi?"

"Well…" The wing spiker blinked when his childhood friend began to lightly pull on the braid her black hair was in, appearing uncomfortable with the topic. Ennoshita then recalled the reason why she had moved away in the first place, and he would have backed off had Haru not spoken up. "Tokyo… Tokyo didn't work out too well…" she finally told him.

Ennoshita sighed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry…"

Haruka shook her head. "Oh no, you didn't," she reassured him. "It's just that… a lot of stuff happened and I don't know where to begin…"

"You don't need to tell me anything if you're uncomfortable with it," he hummed, and all Haru could do was nod.

Miyamura Haruka had been his neighbor back when he was in grade school. They went to the same elementary school and although the girl was a year higher than him, it didn't stop them from becoming friends, especially when Haru had been dead set on being friends with him. Even when her mother had insisted that she stay inside their house to study lessons in advance, the girl would sneak out and knock on their door, asking if Chikara could play. Even when Ennoshita's own parents began discouraging him to hang out with the girl next door, it was difficult to obey when the two of them would inevitably meet at school.

A weak chuckle then echoed from the shorter teen, pulling Ennoshita back to the present. "What's with that look, Chika?" she huffed, amused as she placed a hand on her hip. "Constipated?"

Chikara made a face. "Please don't call me Chika."

At that, Haruka couldn't help but snicker. "Why?" she piped up. "It's cute, Chika."

"No, it's not," he insisted. "Stop."

"Chika."

"Stop."

"Either I go with Chika or Chika-chan," she then told him. "Pick your poison." The wing spiker rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright… _Chikara._ "

"Better," he grunted, a smile pulling on his lips just as there was pulling on Haruka's, the nostalgia of being in each other's presence welcome and warm. It had already been five, almost six years since they had last seen each other. The amount of time and, in their case, distance that had separated them would normally cause a friendship like theirs to fade away, but…

'… _She makes it so easy to pick up from where we left off…'_

"So… What are you doing here, Haru?"

The girl tilted her head to one side. "Here, as in here in Miyagi? Or here at Karasuno?"

Ennoshita took a moment to decide on which question he wanted answered before going for the latter. As much as he was curious to know what brought his friend back to Miyagi, the answer to that would be much, much longer, he believed. "What are you doing here at Karasuno?" he clarified.

"Well," Haruka began. "I'm supposed to meet up with someone from Karasuno so I could get my umbrella back… and a taiyaki, hopefully. But he's taking long, so…" Her eyebrows then pulled together and one of her hands slipped into the pocket of her jacket. "I probably should text him…"

'… _Taiyaki?'_

"What's his name?" Chikara asked, pushing aside how taiyaki could have been involved. "Maybe I know him…"

"Sugawara Koushi. He says he's a third year."

Chikara blinked, surprised. "Sugawara-san?"

Haruka nodded. "You know him?"

"Ah, yeah, I do," he answered. "He's a setter for our volleyball club."

This time, it was Haru's turn to be surprised. "Volleyball? He plays volleyball?"

"Yeah," he replied, a thought then occurring to him. "You played volleyball back in elementary, didn't you?"

"Yep, and I still do," she hummed. "What about you, Chikara? You weren't into sports back then …"

The taller teen offered a smile and nodded. "I'm part of the volleyball club too, wing spiker."

"Oh, then you should let me receive one of your spikes!" she chirped, excited. "I play libero nowadays."

Chikara couldn't help but chuckle at that one. It had been obvious to him what position a girl Haruka's height would play, but he didn't want to outright say it. Most short people he knew were rather sensitive when it came to their height, case in point, Hinata and Nishinoya, so he decided to avoid that particular landmine. "Anyway, I saw Sugawara-san helping our captain round up our first years," he informed her. "They still wanted to practice, and they're kind of difficult to calm down..."

"Yeah, I heard," Haru laughed. "Sugawara-san mentioned something about some freshmen that needed whipping into shape."

"Give him a few minutes more," Chikara said. "I'm sure he's on his way down."

Nodding, the girl shoved her hands both into the pockets of her jacket and sat back down on the sidewalk. "Well, I'm already here," she chimed. "I might as well see this through." She then looked up at him, another one of her warm smiles playing on her lips. "Mind keeping me company? It looks like my feline friend finally abandoned me."

Sighing, Ennoshita settled himself down beside her, a smile of his own beginning to pull on the corners of his mouth as his childhood friend began asking him how he'd been over the last few years.


	7. Chapter 7

_Sighing, Ennoshita settled himself down beside her, a smile of his own beginning to pull on the corners of his mouth as his childhood friend began asking him how he'd been over the last few years._

=oOo=

It hadn't been long since Ennoshita had decided to keep her company, but it had seemed like they had already talked for hours, catching up with each other.

To Haruka's surprise, the reason why her old neighbor had decided to take up volleyball was because his junior high school made it compulsory for them to enter a sports club. The wing spiker had been at a loss on what sport to join, but recalling all the times Haru had dragged him along to watch whenever she played, he had decided to try volleyball out. It had been only a matter of time before he grew to enjoy the sport as well, and now he was part of Karasuno's boys' volleyball team.

"So like, I'm your inspiration, huh?"

"No, you're not."

"That's so sweet, Chika."

"Call me Chika one more time and I'm going home."

"I know where you live."

"Damn it."

However, if surprises were what they were going for, Ennoshita was far outdone when he found out that, during Miyamura's time in Tokyo, she had gotten into a power house school and had been good enough to be the school's official libero during her first year. What's more, throughout her time in junior high, her school had never placed any lower than third on the national level, winning gold three times over those three years.

"Sounds like you were doing good in Tokyo… I bet a lot of schools wanted you on their team."

"…Well, I'd be lying if I said if no one approached me, and I already had my eye on this one school…"

"…But?"

"My priorities shifted a tad bit. And now I'm back in Miyagi."

But even with the move back to Miyagi, it didn't seem like the libero had intended to relax when it came to volleyball. Aoba Johsai's girls' volleyball team had always been strong, never leaving the top four in Miyagi, but it had only been recently that they managed to best all the other teams, including the prefecture's very own Queens, Niiyama Girls' High, and surpassed everyone's expectations by making it to the fourth round of games in the last Spring Tournament.

"Seijoh…" Ennoshita echoed after letting his old neighbor finish her narrative of what happened during Spring Nationals. "That reminds me, we've got a practice match against them next Tuesday." Haru raised an eyebrow, equal parts confused and surprised. After all, Karasuno's volleyball club was infamous for being called 'flightless crows,' their glory all but history.

' _An elite team like Seijoh has no business playing against an average team like Karasuno.'_

"An elite team like Seijoh has no business playing against an average team like Karasuno."

Haruka blinked, hearing her thoughts being voiced out, and she stared at her childhood friend who had a knowing smile on his face.

"That's what you were thinking, right?" Chikara hummed. Haru opened her mouth to deny it, and the wing spiker gave her the opportunity to do so, but no words left the girl's mouth and she simply surrendered and shut her mouth. "I know you don't mean to be rude, and what you're thinking isn't completely wrong… But it was you guys that requested for a practice match, so there must be something in it for you. And, you asked for Kageyama to play setter the whole match."

The libero paused.

' _Kageyama? Setter? Somehow that sounds…'_

"Oh," Haruka squeaked, recalling where she had heard the name. "You're talking about Kageyama Tobio, right? From Kitagawa Daiichi?" Ennoshita gave her a weird look, unsure how she knew that much about one of their freshmen, but nonetheless, he nodded as response. "I didn't know he went to Karasuno…"

"You've heard of him?"

Miyamura nodded. "You probably don't remember, but my brother, the younger one…" she began. "He plays volleyball too nowadays, and there was this one tournament where his team played against Kitagawa Daiichi. I was there to watch my lil' bro, but I have to admit… Kageyama's skill is something else." A small frown then pulled on the girl's features. "But I've also heard rumors about the kid, something about being called 'King of the Court'."

' _And not just from Yuuichi… Some of Oikawa's freshmen from Kitagawa Daiichi were talking about him too…'_

"Ah, that," the taller teen sighed. "Yeah. He's a great volleyball player, a genius setter… but he just needs to remember volleyball is a team sport." Another sigh, and a softer expression appeared on the wing spiker's face. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

"Then I wish you guys all the luck," Haru chimed. "But isn't it kinda suspicious that we want Kageyama in the game the whole time?"

To the libero's surprise, Chikara chuckled. "Actually, one of my teammates thinks you're just sizing up Kageyama."

"Well, maybe he's right, maybe he's not," the girl hummed. "Will you be playing, Chikara?"

"Probably," he answered. "We don't really have a lot of members, you know."

At his answer, Haruka grinned. "Then I'll make sure I watch."

Ennoshita appreciated the sentiment, his smile growing a little wider as he stood up. Reaching into his backpack, he grabbed his wallet and slid a few coins into one of the vending machines, hoping to get himself a drink.

"Want anything, Haru?" Ennoshita asked, standing in front of the vending machine and pushing one of the buttons for a can of green tea. A second later, the can dropped into the compartment below with a thud and the wing spiker retrieved it. "My treat."

Miyamura giggled, looking over her shoulder to look at her old neighbor. "Six years, and all you treat me to is a drink from a vending machine?" the girl snickered. "Real cheap, Chikara. Real cheap."

Ennoshita rolled his eyes. "I've had to put up with your nonsense when we were kids," he dryly stated. "If anyone here is entitled to getting free food, it should be me." Haru made a face, a silent way for her to argue that she hadn't been as terrible as he implied her to be, and though Chikara knew that the girl was well aware that she had her own brand of persistence as a child, he also knew there'd be other opportunities for him to tease her about it. Right now though, he had just pushed a few coins into the machine again and he needed to know what she wanted. "So what'd it be?"

"Orange juice?"

A beep and Haruka soon had a small carton of orange juice between her hands.

But just as Chikara was about to pop open his canned drink, he caught sight of a familiar gray-haired teen rushing down the street, heading towards their direction. "Sugawara-san's here," he hummed, catching his childhood friend's attention. Another teen then came into view, appearing to be in a similar rush. "And Kageyama's right behind him…?" he added, a bit unsure why the freshman would be running after the older setter.

"Sugawara-san!"

Haruka stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder, her straw pressed between her lips and her juice box somehow not slipping off even without her hand supporting it, and she could see Sugawara give her an apologetic look before addressing his underclassman. "Looks like they're talking about something serious," the girl observed, pulling her drink away from her mouth. "The practice match?"

"Probably," Chikara replied, recalling that Kageyama was replacing Sugawara for the practice match. "Maybe he's not entirely comfortable with replacing his senpai."

"Oh right, right," Haru mused, nodding slowly as the two of them continued on watching the pair talk. The two setters weren't too far away, but neither Haruka nor Chikara could pick up on what they were talking about. "You _did_ mention Sugawara-san's a setter too…" The libero's eyebrows then pulled together, a thought occurring to her. "Is Sugawara-san alright with it?"

"He says he is," he answered.

"You don't sound too convinced."

Ennoshita shook his head, a soft smile settling on his face. "I believe Sugawara-san really did mean what he said, and it's just for this practice match anyway, but…"

Miyamura's own expression softened when the wing spiker left his words hanging in the air. Haruka knew what he wanted to say.

' _I know what it's like, after all…'_

"But we're all volleyball players," the libero quietly said. "We all want to be on the court. Otherwise, what would we have trained for, right?"

Chikara blinked and turned to the shorter teen, not expecting such a somber statement from her, but just as he had thought his friend had gotten serious, she was back to sipping her drink. "…Right," was all he could say as his reply.

"Suga."

"Suga-san!"

"Sugawara-san!"

"More teammates?" Haruka asked, both her eyebrows shooting up in surprise when she saw three more boys dressed in identical black tracksuits come into view. "Oh, that guy's pretty short."

The wing spiker met her comment with a flat expression, knowing full well who she was talking about. "I don't think you should be one to talk, Haru."

"It's _because_ I'm short I can call other people short," the girl stated before taking another sip from her juice box. "Besides, I'm just stating facts."

A question then popped into the wing spiker's mind, and after determining whether or not finding out the answer was worth the risk... "Out of curiosity, Haru, how tall are you?"

"Last time I checked, I was at one hundred fifty-two-point-two centimeters…"

If anything, the fact that his friend gave him a straightforward answer to his borderline offensive question was more surprising than the answer itself.

"What about you, Chikara? You look pretty tall."

"Wouldn't everyone look tall to you?"

A huff escaped Haruka's lips as she levelly met the boy's gaze, but before she could reply to the much taller volleyball player's sass, one of Ennoshita's teammates approached them.

"Oh, Ennoshita, you're still here," he said, pleasantly surprised, even more so when his brown eyes fell on the young lady standing beside the wing spiker. "Sorry, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Chikara blinked upon realizing he was referring to Miyamura, and he then shook his head as an answer. "Ah, Daichi-san, this is my friend, Miyamura Haruka." His introduction prompted the libero to offer a polite smile and a small bow, and Daichi mirrored the gesture. "Haru, this is Sawamura Daichi. He's the captain of the volleyball club."

"Nice to meet you, Sawamura-san," Haruka chirped. "Thank you for looking after Chikara."

"If anyone needs looking after, that'd be you, Haru," was Ennoshita's instant reply.

"It's no problem, Miyamura-san," Daichi chuckled, amused with his teammate's retort. "Ennoshita is a very reliable member of the team." The captain's attention then turned back to his underclassman. "I'm treating everyone to meat buns. Do you want anything specific, Ennoshita?"

"I'm fine with anything, Daichi-san. Thanks… Do you need any help?"

"That'd be great, actually… What about you, Miyamura-san?"

"Oh, no, I'm fine, thank you very much," the girl squeaked, raising up her hands. Her gray eyes then stole a glance at the group of boys not too far away. They were still talking, and considering that Ennoshita was going to help out, she added, "But if you don't mind, may I tag along?"

Sawamura raised an eyebrow. "No, nota at all but, are you sure?" he asked, already sliding the shop's door open. "We won't take long."

Miyamura answered with a nod and a reassuring smile. "I need to make sure Chikara behaves himself," she airily said, and the younger wing spiker couldn't help but roll his eyes as he followed after his captain.

"Stop talking like I'm the problem child."

"If you're implying _I'm_ the problem child, then for your information, I was _never_ the problem child."

"The two of you seem close," Daichi mused, closing the door after Haruka. He knew his underclassman to be generally reserved, and it was amusing to see the younger wing spiker talk so bluntly with someone other than their energetic, if not reckless, second year members. On the other hand, Daichi couldn't help but think that Ennoshita was not so much as bluntly talking as he was teasing the shorter girl. "Have you known each other long?"

"Haru and I were neighbors," Ennoshita responded. "We went to the same elementary school too."

The libero nodded to confirm his explanation. "I was a grade higher though," she pointed out, that particular bit of information distracting the boys' captain from picking out meat buns to buy for a moment. "But you can say we're childhood friends."

"I'm sorry," Sawamura then began after finally picking meat buns to buy and paying for them. "I didn't realize you were older than Ennoshita."

"Oh, I get that a lot, thanks to my height," Haru airily stated, and for emphasis, she lifted a hand over her head. "Sugawara-san was surprised too when he found out we were in the same year."

Sawamura murmured a quick thanks to the shopkeeper once he had handed him two paper bags filled with food before turning back to the girl. "You know Suga?"

Miyamura paused.

' _Suga…? Oh, I get it… Sugawara. Suga.'_

Haruka nodded. "We met by chance a few days ago," she hummed while Ennoshita relieved his captain of one of the warm bags of food, and the three of them headed out to join the group outside. "I lent him my umbrella, and I'm actually here at Karasuno to get it back."

"I see," the Karasuno captain murmured just as Sugawara's voice echoed.

"But… I also want to show them that Kageyama is completely different from his junior high days," the third year setter chirped, a wide grin on his face as he placed a hand on Kageyama's shoulder.

Seeing his best friend say such a thing with confidence, Daichi couldn't help but agree. "That's right," he cut in, drawing the attention of his team. One of them, the one with wild orange hair in particular, was especially excited and met him halfway to take the bag of food from him. "Plus, we'll show them that Kageyama's not the only one they need to worry about… Right, Hinata?" The captain then turned back to the ginger, but to everyone's surprise, the boy was already stuffing himself with meat buns.

Haruka couldn't keep herself from grinning as Kageyama and one other teen she didn't know proceeded to scold the poor kid, going so far as to lift him up from the ground before the shopkeeper stepped out and yelled at all of them for being too loud.

"You've got such lively teammates, Chikara," Haru quietly giggled as she approached the redhead who had been promptly dropped onto the floor and reached out a hand. A stranger the boy might have been, but Haru admittedly had a soft spot for those younger than her, the experience of having to take care of her three younger brothers having been well ingrained into her character over the past few years. "Are you alright?"

Blinking, the boy looked up, and his eyes grew wide for a moment, surprised to find a girl standing in front of him. "A-Ah, I-I'm fine," he stammered as he quickly, and quite literally, jumped back onto his feet. "Th-Thank you very much!"

The libero smiled, partly because she was relieved he was fine, and partly because she was amused with his shyness. "That's good to know," she hummed. "Don't be stuffing yourself silly now, or else you'll choke."

"Y-Yes! I'll k-keep that in mind!"

"Oh, Miyamura-san, there you are!"

The raven-haired teen looked over her shoulder and finally, she could talk to the person she had been waiting for. Her smile widening, Haru turned around to face the setter and managed a small wave. "Sugawara-san," she chirped. "Long time no see."

Embarrassed, Koushi rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm really sorry for the trouble," he sincerely told her before reaching into his bag and handing over the girl's umbrella. "Here. Again, thanks for the help."

Chuckling, Miyamura took back her umbrella and swung it around a bit, as if to push away his worries. "Nah, it's no trouble at all," she assured him, and there was something in her tone and expression that had Koushi believing that she really didn't mind, even though he had her waiting for almost an hour. "Besides," she added as she pointed at Ennoshita who was handing out buns to two more new arrivals. "Chikara kept me company."

One of Sugawara's eyebrows rose. "I didn't know you were friends with Ennoshita…" he mused.

"Well, I didn't really know that he went to Karasuno," she admitted. "We were neighbors back when we were in elementary, but we fell out of touch after I moved…" Her attention then turned to the tag dangling from her umbrella, her eyebrows shooting up in amusement. "Well look at that… It really _does_ have my details."

The setter's eyebrows pulled together in mild confusion. "You're talking like you didn't know…" he awkwardly said, and to his surprise, she nodded.

"I didn't," she hummed, sliding the umbrella into her bag. "I only found out when you texted me about it." A shrug. "I guess my lil' bro put it on… Apparently, _I'm_ the irresponsible one."

"I'm sure that's not true," Koushi offered.

"I beg to differ," Chikara deadpanned as he approached the two third years and handed Haru one of the steamed buns. "Daichi-san says you should get one."

"Thanks, really, but-"

"Ennoshita, I thought you said you didn't have a sister!"

The comment had come out of the blue, and Haruka couldn't keep herself from snorting. Chikara, on the other hand, wasn't as amused and immediately stated, "She's not my sister, Tanaka."

"I've never heard that one before," the libero snickered as she gave her old neighbor a pat on the back. "No offense Chikara, but I've got no room for another little brother."

"Believe me, Haru… I'm not even the least bit disappointed."


	8. Chapter 8

" _Believe me, Haru… I'm not even the least bit disappointed."_

=oOo=

After a fair amount of insistence from her Ennoshita and his upperclassmen, Haruka found herself with a warm meat bun in between her hands and several pairs of eyes focused on her as her old neighbor introduced her to majority of Karasuno's boys' volleyball, with varying levels of curiosity behind his teammates' gazes. "This is Miyamura Haruka," he evenly told them as he gestured to the libero standing between him and Sugawara. "She and I used to be neighbors back in elementary. Though apparently, Haru now lives in Sugawara-san's neighborhood."

"Nice to meet you all," the raven-haired girl chirped, offering a polite smile and a small bow. "Chikara and I go way back, so if you need any leverage on him, you know who to call," she added before sneaking in a quick wink at the volleyball team, the cheeky gesture surprising the boys a bit. Haru then turned to her old neighbor who had on his face a flat expression and she just flashed him an equally cheeky grin before turning back to his teammates. "Chikara told me all about your practice match this coming Tuesday," she hummed. "I'm Seijoh's libero for the girls' team, so I'm not sure if I'm allowed to cheer, but I hope you play a good game."

Haruka was surprised when she was met by multiple shocked expressions, and it took a brief moment before any of them spoke up.

"If you're Miyamura Haruka…" Kageyama began, having managed to be the first to pull himself together. In truth, it didn't really bother him that the girl was from Aoba Johsai. He was more surprised to actually be standing in front of someone he had only in volleyball magazines. "Then didn't you used to play for Kitsunehara Junior High?"

"Kitsune…hara?" the short redhead beside the setter echoed, raising an eyebrow. "What's that?"

His own teammate's cluelessness apparently annoyed Kageyama, but instead of calling him out for it, he decided to do him the favor of explaining what the school was. "It's a powerhouse school in Tokyo that's won Nationals a lot of times now and is famous for being in Japan's top three. Miyamura-san was their libero during her time there… but I didn't know she was from Miyagi. Everyone thought she'd be going to a powerhouse high school in Tokyo, but she made her high school debut here a few years ago."

Kageyama then turned to the libero. "I've seen a few of your junior high games on television… You're a very talented libero, Miyamura-san."

Famous was not really something Haruka would call herself. At most, she would admit that her name would turn up from time to time in certain circles of the volleyball community, along with the name of her school and her teammates', but that was it. So to be recognized…

"Oh… Oh wow," Haru timidly squeaked, her smile faltering for a moment before letting out a weak chuckle as she rubbed the back of her neck. "You're Kageyama Tobio, right?" The young setter blinked. "Don't be so surprised. You're-"

' _-the King of the Court is what he's really known for but…'_

Haruka saw the setter stiffen, as if bracing himself for a powerful blow.

"-the genius setter that crushed my little brother's team a few months ago," she chuckled, planting her hands on her hips. Her quip was obviously not what Kageyama expected to hear, nor was it something anyone else expected her to say. "If we're talking about talent, then you definitely out shine me," she added, waving her hand back and forth to push away the ridiculous notion of her being as incredible as the setter made her to be. "But I'm still flattered to be praised by such a high caliber player."

"I… Uh…" Tobio struggled to come up with a response, still reeling from the unexpected turn the libero's words took, and though he tried to think of an appropriate reply, his vice-captain decided to speak up then.

"That's incredible, Miyamura-san," Sugawara said, his eyes growing wide as he slowly came to recognize the girl standing beside him. Certainly, the tracksuit she wore was in Seijoh's colors, with the school name and the volleyball team branded across the back. He might not be as informed with what was happening in the girls' division, but he had come across the Seijoh girls' line up in passing a few times. It was all the more difficult not to hear from them given they had represented Miyagi a few months ago, so he couldn't help but feel the slightest bit embarrassed for not recognizing the libero when he had first met her. "I didn't think someone amazing lived in my neighborhood."

"Oh no, no, no," Haru quickly said. "I'm not all that. I don't even get to score points, you know, and my team does a lot of work to make up for that."

"But… What is someone from Seijoh doing here?" It was Tanaka this time who spoke up, pointing a finger at the unassuming young lady and wearing an expression that Haru could only describe as something their ace would try to pull. "You're not spying on us, are you?! You're cute, but we're not gonna tell you anything!"

The libero blinked.

' _That… last part wasn't completely necessary, but alright…'_

"Tanaka," Daichi sighed, already pulling the second year back by his collar to shake off his intimidating stance. "Don't be rude. Miyamura-san is just here so she could get her umbrella back from Suga… Apologize."

"It's alright, it's alright," Haruka insisted. "I understand where he's coming from." A shrug as she shoved her hands back into the pockets of her jacket. "I get protective of my team too, from time to time… Anyway, Sawamura-san's right. I dropped by just to get my umbrella."

"And taiyaki," Koushi reminded the libero. "I still owe you taiyaki. The custard ones, right? There's a place near the bus stop. I'll buy you one on the way home."

Haruka considered the setter for a moment before her lips curved into a bright smile. "Sounds like a plan." She then turned to her old neighbor. "Why don't you tag along Chikara? So I can pay you back for that drink."

"Don't be silly, Haru," the wing spiker huffed. "I told you it was my treat."

"Actually, Suga…" the Karasuno captain then interjected. "I need to talk to you about the practice match – you too, Kageyama – so…" Sawamura's gaze then drifted to Miyamura, a look of apology already on his face. "Sorry, Miyamura-san, but maybe you and Suga can reschedule?"

The libero's eyebrows shot up. "Oh, of course," she hummed. "I completely understand. I'm sorry for popping up all of a sudden."

"Eh? No, you don't need to apologize, Miyamura-san," Suga insisted. "You went all the way out here too…"

"It's not like I didn't get anything by coming here," Haru chirped. "I still got my umbrella back, and I got to see Chikara again after so long."

Hearing her words, Suga allowed shoulders to sag as he offered a small smile. "Next time then."

Miyamura nodded. "Next time. I'll be waiting," she reaffirmed, a grin of her own playing on her lips, before she heaved a sigh. "Well, looks like I can go home now… It was really nice to meet you all. Good luck on your practice match. If I get the chance, I'll drop by the gym to watch."

'… _But if the boys' practice match is gonna be anything the last ones, I'll really need to drop by and collect any of the first years that had wandered off to watch…'_

With that, she readjusted how her bag hung from her shoulder and waved at the boys. "I'll be going on ahead. I'll see you guys around." Similar greetings echoed from the boys and after waving goodbye, Haru and the players that Daichi didn't need to talk to all headed home.

Not long after reaching the main road, the first years went their own ways. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi turned at the junction, and Hinata sped off on his bike, leaving Haruka in the company of Tanaka and Ennoshita. After crossing a few streets though, the three volleyball players stopped at a curb, the two wing spikers going the opposite direction Haruka was headed.

"Are you sure you don't want me to walk you to the bus stop, Haru?" Ennoshita asked before they parted ways, and Haruka couldn't help but pause at the question.

' _Shouldn't I be the one more concerned? I'm older after all…'_

"Now aren't you being sweet, Chikara?" the libero giggled, and although she sounded like she was teasing her childhood friend, she truly was a bit touched. Ennoshita, however, could only see it as her trying to get the better of him, like she always did, and frowned at the libero, causing her to laugh all the more. "But yeah, I think I can handle crossing some streets by myself. Thanks for asking though," she then added, a sincere smile pulling on the corners of her lips that proved to be more than infectious for Ennoshita, who found himself easily smiling back. "It was great to see you again, Chikara, and it was nice to meet you, Tanaka."

An awkward chuckle escaped the taller of the two second years as he scratched the back of his head. "It was nice meeting you too, Miyamura-san… Sorry for earlier."

"Oh don't worry about it," she assured him. "I've got someone on my team who's sorta like you, so I'm used to it." Haruka turned her gaze back to her old neighbor, already taking a few step back from the two boys and waving at them. "I'll see you around, Chikara. Don't be a stranger."


	9. Chapter 9

" _I'll see you around, Chikara. Don't be a stranger."_

=oOo=

Haruka pulled her eyebrows together, partly out of confusion, partly out of worry and partly out of mild annoyance. Confusion, because Iwaizumi was handing her money in the middle of the hallway on her way to the classroom with no idea whatsoever what it was for. Worry, because Oikawa was apparently injured to some degree, if his concerned fans were anything for the libero to go on. Mild annoyance, because said setter's fans were making quite a ruckus despite it being so early in the morning. Out of the three though, Haru chose to address the second one first since it really did seem like her friend was hurt, with the way her classmate was reminding the setter to be extra careful for the rest of the day.

"You alright, Tooru?" she asked, genuinely concerned. Despite the setter making it difficult for the libero to manage her underclassmen, she really was fond of him.

"Oh, this?" Oikawa hummed as he gestured to his foot. "I just sprained my ankle. It's nothing too serious though, Haru-chan."

"He tripped pretty bad on our way to get ramen," Iwaizumi explained. "The girls were worried it was serious and insisted to have it checked out before we went out to eat." An awkward smile then appeared on the wing spiker's face. "Even Saruhiko was worried."

"It was scary, Haru-chan," the setter whined, grabbing the shorter girl by the shoulders and shaking her. "So scary. Misa-chan's scary when she's nice. I thought I was gonna die!"

A small chuckle escaped the libero.

' _Well, Misaki does have a bit of a prickly personality, so I guess it might be a bit weird for other people when she's being nice…'_

"Eh?" then came a curious hum from behind the two boys and all three volleyball players turned to find the girls' captain standing nearby. "You should be careful with what you say, Oikawa… If Misaki heard you, she'd make sure you go home with more than a sprained ankle," she chuckled, obviously teasing, but both Oikawa and Iwaizumi weren't too confident that the girls' ace would, in fact, not result to such violence given the right motivation. "Good morning, Haruka, Iwaizumi," she chimed, offering a polite smile.

"Mornin,' Kobashigawa."

"Good morning, Ayame."

"How's your ankle doing, Oikawa?"

The boys' captain flashed Kobashigawa a bright smile. "Better," he sang. "The doctor says I still need to take it easy though."

"Then it's a good thing we don't have practice on Mondays, huh?" Kobashigawa hummed, and her fellow setter nodded. "Well, I hope you can play soon so we can have that rematch and I can beat you, setter to setter."

At that, Oikawa couldn't help but chuckle. "I think you're a bit confused, Aya-chan. _I'm_ going to beat you."

Kobashigawa grinned. "Let's just see about that," she told him before turning back to Haruka and Iwaizumi. "Iwaizumi, did you give Haruka her money back?"

"I was just about to," the wing spiker grunted, and as gruff as he sounded, his words held no hostility. "Anyway, we decided to postpone you guys' penalty until we can all go together, so here's your money back."

' _Oh, that's why…'_

"Alright. Thanks Hajime," Haru chirped, gratefully accepting the money just as a thought occurred to her. Her eyebrows pulled together as she turned to the male setter. "But Tooru, don't you guys have a practice match against Karasuno tomorrow? Will you be alright?"

"Practice match?" Kobashigawa echoed, a fine eyebrow quirked as she shifted her gaze between her three friends, having heard about the schedule for the first time. "Karasuno?"

However, the setter's questions were largely ignored thanks to the boys' captain, who replied with a haughty huff. "Haru-chan, who do you think you're talking to?" he asked, pointing a thumb at himself. "I'll crush my adorable little kouhai easily."

"Not unless Coach wants to keep you on the bench, Crappykawa," Iwaizumi grumbled before turning to the libero to address something more important. Because aside from those who were present in the meeting last Saturday before training ended, no one else should have known about the practice match, unless one of his teammates had informed the libero. Not that it was a secret. Iwaizumi just hadn't expected the news to travel so fast. "But yeah, we do… How'd you find out, Haruka? Did Yahaba tell you?"

"Yahaba? I haven't spoken to Yahaba since our game," she told him, the crease resting on her forehead growing deeper as her confusion mounted. "I'm just friends with some of the guys on their volleyball team… Why? Is it supposed to be a secret? Because if it is, then it means your coaches didn't approve and you know you guys can get in _real_ big trouble for sneaking in an entire _team_ of outsiders."

The two boys blinked, not expecting the libero to suddenly scold them, and once the initial shock passed, the pair couldn't help grin at the little lady. Oikawa though, decided to take it one step further and patted Haruka on the head.

The libero immediately attempted to swat his hand away, but when she swung her hand, Oikawa had already pulled back his arm.

"Don't worry, Haru-chan," he assured her in a sing song voice.

'… _The way he says it makes me more worried, really…'_

"This is all official, Haruka." This time it was the boys' ace that spoke up. "I was just surprised."

To their surprise, Kobashigawa sighed. "I'm surprised you automatically accuse Yahaba of an information leak… He can't be as bad as Chiyo."

The wing spiker raised an eyebrow, knowing full well what the setter meant. Though Yahaba was fairly well informed when it came to just about anything that goes on in Aoba Johsai, Nakamura Chiyo was hands down _the_ person to go to when it came to news, legitimate or otherwise. "Ah, no, nothing like that," he told her. "Yahaba and Watari just really get along well with Haruka. I thought that he might have talked to her about it."

A content-sounding hum escaped the female captain as she slowly nodded her head. "I guess," she replied with a shrug before turning to her teammate. "Say, by any chance, is that Karasuno friend of yours the one you met up last Saturday?" The libero nodded. "So that's why you tagged along with Ohara… She lives around that area, right?"

Another nod, followed by a blink. "Oh, I saw Kageyama too, when I dropped by Karasuno," Haruka piped up.

"You did?" Iwaizumi asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yep," the libero chirped in reply. "Apparently, he's seen some of my games." An awkward chuckle then escaped the girl's lips. "He's kind of blunt, isn't he?"

"You're being too nice, Haru-chan," Oikawa muttered. "Tobio-chan's complete disregard of others' opinions is legendary."

Kobashigawa raised an eyebrow at her fellow setter. "And I completely see where he takes after."

"Never thought he'd end up at Karasuno though," Iwaizumi admitted. "At the very least, I expected someone as talented as him would get into a powerhouse school."

"Who got into a powerhouse school?" The four atheletes paused and turned towards where the voice came from, and they found the girls' vice captain giving them a look. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but you guys should really talk somewhere other than the hallway. You're kind of in the way."

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed," Kobashigawa hummed, causing the middle blocker to make a face.

"More like fell _off_ the bed," the taller girl groaned.

Haruka's eyes grew wide. "Wait, don't you have a bunk bed?" she squeaked. "Are you okay, Saori?"

The middle blocker waved off the shorter girls concern and offered a small, pained smile. "Yeah, just a bit sore all over," she told her. "The screws on the bars were loose and they gave way, but don't worry. I'll be fine… So what's this talk about powerhouse schools?"

"Ah, just that Oikawa's kouhai didn't end up in one," the female captain replied, pointing a thumb over at where Oikawa was. "You've heard of the King of the Court, right?"

Saotome blinked. "Genius setter who was abandoned by his team, right?"

Haruka couldn't help but scowl at the cruel, yet accurate description her vice-captain gave.

"Well, apparently, he ended up at Karasuno."

This time, one of Saotome's eyebrows shot up. "Fallen powerhouse, flightless crows, Karasuno?"

Iwaizumi pulled his eyebrows together and inched closer to his classmate. "Saotome doesn't pull punches, does she?" All Haruka could do was shake her head.

' _No she does not.'_

"You should see how she is in class," Oikawa grumbled. "She's nice, but she doesn't like sugar-coating things."

"A waste, I guess," Saotome mused, still talking to Kobashigawa. "But given his attitude problem, I bet some schools didn't want him on their team, even if he _is_ talented."

"She's rarely in the wrong though," the boys' captain added, having been in the same class as the middle blocker since their second year. "But it doesn't keep her from getting into trouble."

"But if we're talking about matching players to schools based on skills and reputation, objectively speaking, that is," Saotome continued, this time catching the attention of the trio who were legitimately curious of her opinion. "Haru should've just taken up Niiyama on their offer… or maybe should've just stayed in Tokyo all together." It was solely because she was very close friends with her that Haruka knew that Saotome really didn't mean to be rude. "But then again, if Haru had stayed in Tokyo, there's a good chance she'd play on the same team as her senpais, and I personally think any school in Miyagi would be better than Haru being on the same team as her senpais from Kitsunehara..."

 _'Ah, Saori and your round about way of showing you care...'_

Saotome then looked up in thought. "That reminds me… I ran into Chiyo and Kotori on my way up. They were talking about their heights… Coach said we should get that done before Golden Week, didn't she?"

' _Gah…'_

"I see that look, Haruka," the female captain hummed before the libero in question could even notice that she had been scowling. "I know you know your height, but we need to update our pamphlet, especially now that we've got a new line up… I'm scheduling the measurements this Saturday. I'll tell Coach later."

Oikawa blinked. "We better get on that too, Iwa-chan," the boy whispered over to his best friend who agreed, the both of them having completely forgotten about the chore.

"Ah, on the topic of the boys are having a practice match… Whether or not Oikawa plays, make sure none of the first years wanders to the third gym, will you Haruka?" Kobashigawa tiredly asked and the raven-haired girl nodded, heaving a tired sigh of her own.

"Aye aye, captain."

Just as the libero answered, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of first period, and all five volleyball players hurried to close the last few feet that would lead them to each of their classrooms. Luckily, Haruka and Iwaizumi managed to make it to their room before their teacher arrived and homeroom began.


	10. Chapter 10

_Oh look. An update._

* * *

 _Luckily, Haruka and Iwaizumi managed to make it to their room before their teacher arrived and homeroom began._

=oOo=

Tuesday afternoon eventually rolled around and the Aoba Johsai girls' volleyball team should have known.

They really should have known, but most of all…

Miyamura Haruka should have known _better_.

' _I don't really mind keeping an eye on the first years, but this is just ridiculous…'_

With her arms crossed over her chest and a level expression fixed on her face, the third year libero's gray eyes shifted their focus every now and again, from the pastel colored box to the first years who were presenting it to her.

'… _And it just gets more and more ridiculous with each year, I swear…'_

"Please accept our humble offering, senpai!"

'… _Cute, but it's still ridiculous, not to mention unnecessary.'_

A sigh left the libero's lips as she closed her eyes, ignoring the pleading gazes that were directed her way. She had expected her underclassmen to exert some effort into getting permission to watch the boys' practice match with Karasuno, but this attempt was, by far, the most…

'… _Inspired? Creative? I don't really know what to call it…'_

"It's custard-filled taiyaki, senpai! Your favorite!"

'… _But damn it, they're smart.'_

"Ladies, this is bribery," Haru evenly pointed out, finally opening her eyes after taking a few moments to consider her options. The best course of action would have been to consult their coach and their captain, but with Coach Aranami coincidentally taking the afternoon off due to an emergency at home and Kobashigawa having already surrendered the youngest members of the volleyball club to her, Haruka was left to her own devices.

' _It's free practice, but it'd be irresponsible to just let them go… But because it's free practice, I can't really force them to stay either…'_

Miyamura herself had plans on asking either of their two setters and any willing wing spiker for help, hoping to get used to doing the same play as Watari did, but with the turn of events, it was obvious that she'd have to deal with her underclassmen first before anything else.

Another sigh, and Haruka relieved the group of young ladies of the package, but before any of them could begin celebrating, she lightly pressed a finger against her lips, prompting them all to listen for a while longer. By then, the freshmen already knew that they had won their senpai over, but they were fairly sure they were still walking on thin ice. Not wanting to risk having the libero change her mind, they fought the urge to bolt right out of the second gymnasium and into the gymnasium next door.

"Alright, so here's what we'll do," she hummed, lowering her hands to her sides before turning to where the rest of her teammates had been watching the whole scene unfold. "Misaki, Aoi, help me out for a bit." Surprised as they were at being called over, the two wing spikers didn't hesitate in joining Haruka in dealing with the younger members of the club.

"What d'ya need, Haru?" the older of the two girls asked, a scowl already on her face before the libero could even explain what she had planned out.

"Do you mind helping out with their receives?" Haruka chimed, turning back to the group before getting a reply. "Do your warm ups, then practice receives with Misaki and Aoi. When you get five consecutive balls up, do a lap of diving receives around the gym. Only _then_ are you free to go… How's that?"

The girls were about to complain, oh how they wanted to complain, but the sharp look they received from their team's ace and to-be ace was all they needed to see that turning down the libero's proposition was _not_ an option. If it had been any of the other third years, all of which had already run out of patience with their shenanigans not limited to those that involved the boys' official setter, they would have been forced to stay somehow, regardless of it being free practice as some form of penalty. With a resolute nod, the young ladies then went off to start their warm ups, and once they were out of ear shot, the third year wing spiker spoke up.

"Haru, aren't you being a little _too_ nice?" Misaki grumbled, her frown growing all the more profound. "If ya keep spoilin' them like this, they'll be raking Seijoh's name through the mud."

The shorter teen waved a hand, pushing away the unpleasant thought. "They'll be fine, they'll be fine," she reassured their ace. "I still got them to put in a bit of practice, didn't I?" Misaki didn't answer and instead just crossed her arms and let out a small huff, not wanting to acknowledge that the libero was right. "Besides, it's not really being 'nice' if I asked you guys to help. You two are our best hitters, after all... You'll give them a good challenge."

Aoi raised an eyebrow at her upperclassman. "I don't know about that, senpai…" the younger wing spiker murmured. "You pick up our spikes just fine… It's a little disheartening."

At that, Haruka couldn't help but lightly chuckle as a response, just as their captain approached them with an eyebrow raised. "Are the first years staying for practice, Haruka?" Kobashigawa asked, her gaze turning to the clumsy mess of a circle her underclassmen had gathered themselves into in one corner of the gym.

Miyamura shook her head. "I'm just having them do a few drills before they go watch the boys' practice match." A pause. "…Unless you want them to stay. You _are_ the captain, Ayame."

Kobashigawa heaved a sigh and lazily rested her hands on her hips before shaking her head. "No, it's alright," the setter assured her. "I just hope they don't make too much of a ruckus next door…"Ayame didn't need to say anything more, the look she gave their libero getting her message across.

' _Keep an on eye on the babies of the club, please.'_

=oOo=

Koushi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he noticed a familiar head of raven hair inside Aoba Johsai's third gymnasium. He wasn't _that_ surprised to find Miyamura – she _did_ study here after all – but she was wearing her practice clothes, meaning that she was supposed to be in the middle of their club activities too. So to find her out and about like this was a bit odd to him, especially when she had already told him she had her hands full with their freshmen.

Coincidentally, Miyamura's gaze wandered his way, and when the libero caught sight of Sugawara, she immediately beamed at him and waved a hand. The setter returned the gesture with a warm smile of his own. He took a step towards her direction, wanting to at least greet her properly, but then two very different voices echoed in the hall, warranting their immediate attention.

For Koushi, it was Sawamura. "Suga, you're gonna get left behind!"

For Haruka, it was one of her underclassmen. "Miyamura-senpai, they're gonna start soon, they're gonna start soon!"

With their respective teammates rushing them, Koushi just had to sigh. "I'll be right there Daichi," he called back as he turned his eyes back to where Miyamura was. She was still talking to her teammate, but once the freshman had gone on ahead, the libero returned her attention to him, and with an apologetic smile, pointed a thumb over her shoulder, gesturing that she had to go. Koushi nodded in understanding and after another exchange of hand waves, Miyamura ran off and disappeared into a hallway.

At that point in time, Suga was fairly certain that she was going to watch their match and he began to worry all the more, what with Hinata and the unnecessary pressure the freshman had put on himself. No amount of reassurance from him and the others had done any help, so all he could do was hope Hinata would manage somehow.

"Suga!"

Koushi jumped and he immediately started running towards where his captain's voice was coming from. "Right behind you!"

' _Regardless, we have a match to win.'_


	11. Chapter 11

_Look at that. Another update._

 _Anyway, as like I said in 'A Long Game of Hide and Seek,' a_ _side from me having a Tumblr account you can follow (physiologically-salty), I also now have a pa tre on (RosyRain, btw this site deletes the word pa tre on for some reason but I hope you get the idea). For those not familiar with it, it's this membership platform where you basically subscribe to creators like me in order to support our craft. That's not to say that I won't be updating my fics if you don't become a patron. It's just that, if you become a patron, you get some shout outs, some behind-the-scene kinds of things (some scrapped ideas_ _, alternate scenarios), sneak-peeks (bits and pieces of the chapters or oneshots I'm working on), etc. etc. And even if you don't become a patron, I'll post some pretty nifty - well, I think it's nifty - stuff on my page, so why not check it out anyway? Any form of support - a review, a patron, a follower, a subscriber - would mean a lot to me._

 _EDIT: Link (or some semblance of a link) for my pa tre on is on my profile if you want to check it out._

 _Anyway, back to your usual, not-so-scheduled program._

 _P.S. Yes, I did just copy and paste that from 'A Long Game of Hide and Seek.'_

* * *

' _Regardless, we have a match to win.'_

=oOo=

As much as she wanted to watch the practice match from the courtside, Haruka knew she had more important things to watch over – or in this case in particular, _people._ And though she didn't really mind keeping an eye on her underclassmen – years of taking care of her brothers had prepared her for this – she still wanted to enjoy the game without the fear of one of the freshmen being kicked out of the gymnasium for being distracting. So, the libero was more than relieved to find her underclassmen being considerate, given the situation, and minded their behavior. After all, this wasn't their gymnasium, their territory.

"Ah, senpai! There you are," one of the freshmen chimed as Haruka stepped onto the landing. It was Andou, the newest middle blocker of their team, and right beside her were Fujimiya and Ohara, the former looking rather bored, and the latter appearing to be embarrassed. "What took you so long?" Andou asked. "The game's gonna start any minute."

' _That said, they still make a way to be as lively as ever.'_

Haruka offered a smile and reached up to rub the back of her neck. "Sorry, I kinda got held up by a few second years," she told them as she pointed a thumb over her shoulder. "They didn't want to watch the practice match, so after the drills, they just went home instead." The libero then blinked, noticing that it was just the three of them.

' _Huh, where's everyone else?'_

Haru opened her mouth to voice that exact same question, but their wing spiker spoke up.

Fujimiya scowled. "After all the trouble we went through to get you to let us watch, they just ditch us?" she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. "Some senpais."

Ohara pursed her lips for a few moments. "Don't talk about them like that," she weakly argued. "They probably just have something better to do. Besides, Oikawa-senpai isn't playing so-"

At that, Andou couldn't help but butt in. "Oikawa-san isn't playing?" she echoed, obviously surprised, and if Haru had to be honest, she was somewhat surprised that Ohara knew the setter wasn't going to play. Haruka had only heard it earlier today, after morning practice when she and the rest of the third years were heading to their respective classrooms. "What? Why? Who told you that?"

The younger libero blinked once, then twice, before getting a grip of herself after having been asked a barrage of questions. "Um… Oikawa-senpai isn't playing because his ankle is still bad. He's good to be walking around, but their coach still asked him to lay off club activities this morning, just in case," she explained, her voice growing softer every now and again, only for her volume to go back up when she would realize she was mumbling rather than actually speaking clearly. "And, uh… Kindaichi-kun told me… We're in the same class, apparently."

The wing spiker raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, 'apparently'? Don't tell me you didn't notice him until recently?"

Ohara then glanced to the side, a pink hue creeping up her face. "Actually… Until our practice match with the boys, I didn't… really-"

Much to the timid freshman's embarrassment, Andou started laughing. "Oh my god, Ohara," she chuckled, shaking her head. "Is that why Kindaichi was so awkward last Saturday?" The fact that Ohara's face grew even redder was more than enough of an answer for the middle blocker, and it had Andou go through another fit of laughter.

"I don't… I don't really notice small things like that, and-and, I'm still trying to get to know everyone in class so…." The younger libero then snapped her gaze back to Andou. "And I already apologized for being rude! So…"

"Alright, alright, ladies," Haruka cut in, literally stepping in between Ohara and the other two freshmen. "We all know Fumiko-chan's a bit of an airhead," she hummed as she placed a hand on top of the younger libero's head and gave her a few soft pats. "But she's a brilliant player, just like the two of you. Now stop teasing her. You all promised me to behave, right?" The three freshmen murmured in affirmation, even though Haru could still see that Fujimiya and Andou were still enjoying the idea that Ohara hadn't recognized her classmate until recently. "So, where is everyone else?" she then asked, finally addressing the fact that only the three of them were around.

Her underclassmen then pointed at the area across from them, and when Haru followed with her eyes, she spotted the rest of her fellow club members. "They said they wanted to watch from the boys' side," Fujimiya explained.

"Oh?" Haru squeaked before looking down at the court below. Just as her underclassman said, from where they were standing, they were on Karasuno's side, while majority of her clubmates were technically on Seijoh's side. "Well then, what are you three still doing here?" she then asked her juniors.

"We were waiting for _you_ , senpai," the wing spiker simply hummed, shrugging. "Besides, this probably isn't the only time we'll get to see the guys play anyway, so we thought it'd better to see how the other team does."

"I suppose that's one way of looking at things," the third year mused, tilting her head from side to side. "This is a good learning experience, but we won't always let you loose like this, you know. You're all just lucky Coach isn't around."

"You don't usually get to watch their matches?" Fujimiya asked.

Haruka shook her head slowly. "Not usually, no," she replied. "And they don't usually get to watch our practice matches too. Mostly because half of them, we play on the other school's court, but half of the time, it's because we have our own training to do. You can pick up a lot of techniques from watching other teams, but that won't do you much good if you don't practice them yourselves on the court, so-"

"Hey, is that Karasuno guy look at us?" Andou hummed, drawing everyone's attention. "He looks kinda constipated. Does he need to go to the bathroom?"

Sighing, Haruka couldn't help but assume the worst. The worst, being they had been too rowdy and were on their way to being kicked out of the gym. Gray eyes turned to the floor below, with every intention of apologizing for any ruckus they could have caused, but she met the gaze of a familiar pair of dark brown ones.

It took Haruka less than a second to recognize the teen looking up at her from below, and she immediately broke into a wide grin and waved, all while her childhood friend stared back at her with an expression twisted with an awkward mix of amusement and embarrassment.

Not to mention sleepiness.

' _But then again, Chika-chan always looks sleepy. Oops, better not call him that out loud.'_

The thought had Haruka chuckling to herself and she threw Ennoshita a thumbs up in a show of support, but the Karasuno wing spiker just looked away, one of his teammates suddenly calling his attention. Haru was admittedly taken aback by the lack of a response – back when they were kids, she would usually get some kind of reaction to almost anything she'd do – but she also understood that they were going to be in a practice match against one of the prefecture's strongest teams. She was certain Ennoshita had more important things to worry about, hence being described as constipated by Andou.

"Someone you know?" Ohara then spoke up, tilting her head to one side as she considered the boy below. Her question piqued the interest of the other two freshmen, and both Andou and Fujimiya started paying close attention to the unknown boy from Karasuno that their upperclassman apparently knew.

Haru nodded. "Yeah, he's an old friend of mine," she replied. "We used to go to the same elementary school before I moved."

"For a friend, he didn't look too happy to see you though," Fujimiya pointed out, and Haru couldn't help but laugh.

Chuckling, she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned forward against the railings. "Well, you're probably right," she chimed. "Back when we were kids, I usually meant trouble for him."

The wing spiker raised a fine eyebrow, confused, and it didn't really come as much of a surprise to Haru when the freshman posited another question. After all, she knew that her persistence back then when it came to Ennoshita could be seen as some form of harassment or bullying, even though she had never wanted him to get hurt or to get in any trouble. "Then are you really even friends to begin with?"

' _Though I suppose her phrasing could use some work…'_

Before Haru could answer, a whistle went off, calling all the players' attention, as well as the audience's. The libero turned back to where Ennoshita had been a few moments ago. She was half-expecting him to have already fallen in line with his teammates, but he was still there. His gaze was focused somewhere else though, and Haru couldn't help but notice something as she watched him mingle with his teammates.

' _He does kinda look reliable, doesn't he?'_

To her surprise, Ennoshita turned back to her and with an uncharacteristically wide smile, he threw her a peace sign before heading off to line up. It took a moment for Haru to process the small gesture – the grin had thrown her for a loop, though she wouldn't ever admit it – and she found herself chuckling as she turned back to Fujimiya. "Yeah, we're _are_."

=oOo=

No matter which way Haruka looked at it, Karasuno was _not_ in a good spot. Which wasn't to say that Karasuno had a weak team, no. The libero's concern laid elsewhere. Despite Sawamura and Ennoshita making decent receives, despite Tanaka's decent spikes, despite Tsukishima's decent blocks and despite Kageyama's exceptional skill, the truth of the matter was that Hinata couldn't find his rhythm. And even if, by some cosmic math, Kageyama's talent cancelled out Hinata's poor performance, Karasuno would still tantamount to 'decent'.

' _And decent doesn't win you tournaments…'_

"This is too painful to watch," Ohara squeaked as she covered her eyes. "What was Karasuno thinking? They should've known they'd be no match against the guys."

"You're right, senpai." It was Fujimiya this time, definitely unamused as she crossed her arms over her chest. "This is quite the learning experience. This is how _not_ to play volleyball."

Andou made a face. "Now you're just being mean, Nozomi-san," she huffed. "Maybe they're a little disoriented and overwhelmed is all. Maybe playing against the boys' was a little too much for their poor nerves."

Fujimiya raised an eyebrow. "Speak for yourself, Andou. Who's being mean _now_?"

Haruka, on the other hand, found herself chewing on her lower lip. She could sympathize with Ohara. The game so far was frustrating to watch, especially for Karasuno. Hinata just couldn't seem to get into the rhythm of things, his nerves getting the best of him, as Andou had surmised.

So it didn't come as much of a surprise when the first set ended with Seijoh coming out on top, but _how_ it ended was not really anyone could expect.

No, really.

Who would ever expect anyone serving a ball into someone's head?


	12. Chapter 12

_I'm having fun writing this, but it takes a while for me to actually finish something. I'm glad you guys are having fun too._

 _Now, why don't you visit my Tumblr? It's a personal blog, so it's pretty random, but there's a link on that page that would lead you to a site that could let you help me if you want. But it's no big deal if you don't though, don't worry about it, but it also kinda gives me motivation to write more and to write faster._

 _So, don't knock it until you try it, right?_

* * *

 _Who would ever expect anyone serving a ball into someone's head?_

=oOo=

Haruka didn't know what to make of the intense glare Kageyama sent Hinata's way following the middle blocker's blunder, nor the equally intense discussion the two had, but the libero somehow knew that the two would be alright when she saw Tanaka say his piece and seemingly lighten the mood for everyone on Karasuno. She was relieved to see they were in a better standing, but by then, the majority of her underclassmen had already lost interest, seeing no merit in watching a practice match without Oikawa, nor a challenge. Haru couldn't hold it against them, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel dismayed. For one, she had hoped that her underclassmen had actually seen this as a learning opportunity, but if the libero had to be honest, she was more upset over the fact that if they all left, then she'd have to head back to their own gym.

After all, the only reason she got to watch the practice match was because her captain had asked her to make sure everyone behaved. Though to Haru's surprise, the three freshmen standing with her on Karasuno's side of the court looked like they had no intention of leaving just yet. Instead, the three were going over what had just happened.

Haru listened with mild amusement as the ever soft-spoken Ohara tried to talk Andou out of breaking into a fit of laughter, the idea of someone messing up a serve so badly that the ball would hit someone's – let alone their own teammate's – head proving much too funny for her. Fujimiya appeared indifferent, muttering something about how amateurish Karasuno was, but Haru could see the corners of the wing spiker's lips twitching as she tried to reign in the smile that was trying to escape her.

"Andou, come on," Ohara huffed. "It's not _that_ funny, and the guy might actually be hurt or something."

At that, the middle blocker snorted while Fujimiya scrunched up her face. "Which guy though?" she mused. "By the looks of things, Shorty's the one that got a scary earful from the King of the Court." Hearing the nickname had Haruka pursing her lips, but before she could comment, Andou spoke up again.

"Must be nice to have cool nickname like that," she hummed, finally managing to calm down. "I know he's like, a real jerk and everything, but he's got the skills that actually make him kinda deserving of being called a king." A pause. "Still a jerk though." A thought then crossed Andou's mind and she turned to Haru. "Didn't you have a nickname back in Tokyo, Miyamura-san? Like, I read about you once in the volleyball monthly back when I was in elementary, and I'm pretty sure they wrote you up with a nickname…"

Miyamura couldn't keep the nervous chuckle from slipping through her lips as she slowly nodded, reaching for the end of her braid and tugging on it ever so slightly. "Oh wow, yeah, yeah… But that, that was a _long_ time ago…" she awkwardly said, her gaze wandering from her underclassmen and to a window that suddenly appealed to her. "And, and I wasn't too fond of it so…" But none of the girls were listening to her at that point, already more preoccupied with her volleyball career.

"The Black Fox of Kitsunehara," Ohara piped up, the freshman's expression lighting up while Haruka suppressed a shudder, having honestly hoped that she'd never have to hear anyone call her that. "That's what Senpai was called, right? They said that the Black Fox was bad luck for the teams playing against Kitsunehara, or something like that. It's something like that, right Miyamura-senpai?"

"Something like that," Haruka acquiesced, offering a small, albeit forced smile. "But I never really owned up to it and it was just everyone else who called me that and-" A whistle then went off, drawing everyone's attention back to the match and cutting their conversation short, much to the third year's relief. As much as Haru wanted to look on the bright side, she couldn't deny that her time in middle school had been anything but pleasant and it was what made her empathize with Kageyama.

' _My senpais would probably even argue that I was bad luck for our own team too though…'_

"You think they'll get their act together this time around?" Fujimiya asked as the match continued and the ball was sent back up in the air and into Seiijoh's airspace. After a solid receive by Iwaizumi, the ball went over to Yahaba, who in turn tossed it to Kunimi for a spike.

Haru sighed when Tsukishima met the attack with a clumsy receive, and it became all the more apparent to her just how much work Karasuno needed.

' _Which reminds me… I'll have to tell Coach to get the freshmen to focus on their receives too…'_

Though Miyamura wasn't impressed with the barely passable receive, she was very much so with how Kageyama followed up. With how fast the toss had gone, it would have been even more impressive with a great spike. Unfortunately, the ball went beyond Hinata's reach and simply hit the net, Seijoh getting the first point for the set.

"Does _that_ answer your question?" Andou quipped, succeeding in making the wing spiker scowl.

"But you know, that number five sure can jump," Ohara mused, her thoughts similar to what was going through Haruka's mind, just as another rally started. Haruka was barely able to get a word in before the ball got to Karasuno's side of the court and Kageyama and Hinata pulled off a quick like she hadn't seen before.

' _Then again, it's more like – a quick I barely even saw.'_

Because with how fast everything had happened, Haruka wasn't even sure if what she saw was an actual quick, or just something she had imagined. It had been the real deal though, the acting referee's whistle declaring that the quick _did_ occur and it had just earned Karasuno their first point.

"W-What?" Ohara stammered, leaning over the railing as if getting a closer look would help her make sense of what had just happened. Haruka immediately pulled her back though, not wanting the freshman to get into some freak accident. "D-Did you see that?" She was talking to no one in particular, but her question had Fujimiya snapping out of her stupor. The wing spiker, in turn, tugged at Andou's arm before pointing at the court below.

" _That_ answers my question."

"You can't be _serious_ ," Andou squeaked. "Just a few minutes ago that shorty was a bumbling mess."

"It looks like they've finally gotten their act together," Haru chirped, unable to suppress the excitement in her voice and the grin on her lips. "This should make things a lot more interesting from here on out."

And it did.

Though if she had to be honest, Miyamura wasn't all that surprised when Karasuno won the second set. After all, attacks like what Hinata and Kageyama were pulling off were more than enough to disorient a team. As inexperienced and clumsy as they were, Karasuno had a great deal of firepower that they could use to their advantage.

' _Though at this point, it's more like trying to win with brute force rather than an actual game plan…'_

Beside her, the libero heard Ohara exasperatedly sigh. "I don't think I'd be able to pick up a ball that fast… And even Kindaichi-kun can't catch up to block it." The freshman then turned to Haruka. "Miyamura-senpai, you have friends at Karasuno, right?" Ohara asked, warranting the third year's attention and earning her a nod as a response. "Did you know they were this strong?"

"Nah, I'm just as surprised as you are," Miyamura replied, chuckling as she shook her head. "This is the first time I've seen them play."

Andou made a face. "Please don't tell me they're actually gonna _win_."

"They probably will if they keep pulling off those insane quicks," Fujimiya hummed. "Iwaizumi-san and the rest must be getting frustrated."

"I'm sure they are," Haruka affirmed, nodding this time. "But there's no guarantee that either team will win at this point. Karasuno may appear to have the momentum here, but Hajime-kun and the others have experience under their belts," she told them as she gestured from one team to the other. "On the other hand, attacks like those aren't something you can immediately develop a countermeasure against and be one hundred percent sure that it'd work, so we might actually lose this practice match."

Haru then paused, a thought occurring to her when she considered their boys' line up. "But you know… Tooru's presence on the court also plays a factor here," she then added.

"That's right," Andou agreed, eagerly nodding. "Oikawa-san isn't here. If he was here, we'd be giving them a run for their money."

"That doesn't change the fact that they're lucky Oikawa-san isn't playing," Fujimiya murmured, only for a small group of female students, students that had wandered into the gym to watch the practice match and probably catch a glimpse of the team's captain, to break into squeals. Immediately, Haruka knew exactly what the ruckus was for, even before she could check. "I take that back. We're winning this thing."

=oOo=

To say that Haruka had expected Karasuno to win would be going overboard, but the libero would be lying if she said she hadn't been silently rooting for them. Especially with how the team had faired during the first set. She just didn't want Ennoshita's team to lose miserably, but as mean as it might make her to be, she definitely didn't expect them to _win_. It wasn't that she was upset that they won. It was the opposite, actually. Haru was pleasantly surprised with how the match turned out, and even found Hinata and Kageyama's quick to be something that got her blood pumping, something the libero in her was more than eager to conquer, but…

An awkward smile pulled on the libero's lips as she thought to herself.

' _It still kinda sucks that we lost though…'_

"I can't believe this!"

' _Though it looks like Andou's more upset over it than me.'_

Beside the middle blocker, Haruka saw Fujimiya shrug. "Just goes to show you'll never know how stuff like these will turn out," she evenly hummed before turning her gaze up to the ceiling as the continued to make their way back to their own gym. "But you know, if Oikawa-san had been playing from the beginning, I think Karasuno wouldn't have stood a chance," she then said, though it sounded more like she was simply thinking out loud. Regardless, the wing spiker had raised a point that Haru couldn't help but agree with.

Miyamura could hear Andou mutter something in response, but the libero was completely distracted when people in black tracksuits appeared in the corner of her eye. At that point, Haruka made a split second decision, an admittedly _selfish_ , split second decision, before calling her underclassmen's attention.

"Fujimiya, Andou," she chimed as she took a step back from the pair. "Why don't you two go on back to the gym? I'll catch up."

The two freshmen raised an eyebrow each at their senior before one of them, Fujimiya, raised a question. "Okay," the wing spiker hummed. "But if anyone asks, what are we going to tell them?"

Haru paused for a moment. "Tell them I ran into a few friends," she told them, already taking two more steps towards where the boys in black had been heading. "Thanks," she sang one last time before breaking into a jog and disappearing into one of the hall ways.

=oOo=

Andou Sachiko and Fujimiya Nozomi allowed a few seconds to pass before continuing on their way back to their gym, but it hadn't even taken four steps before Sachiko opened her mouth to comment on the turn of events.

"She's gonna talk to that constipated Karasuno guy, isn't she?" Andou murmured. It had been obvious to her that the plain-looking wing spiker had caught the attention of her senior, and although she could understand that Miyamura and the Karasuno guy were old friends, the middle blocker couldn't understand why the third year was _that_ excited.

"Likely," Nozomi replied with a small nod.

Shoving her hands into the pockets of her jacket, Sachiko nodded as well before pointing out something else that mildly bothered her. Because as far as she knew, there were supposed to be three of them - three freshmen – that had stayed behind along with Miyamura, but there were only two of them heading back. "Okay, but where in the world did Ohara go?"


	13. Chapter 13

" _Okay, but where in the world did Ohara go?"_

=oOo=

Miyamura didn't have to go far in order to catch up the Karasuno boys, and she would have called out to them the moment she had spotted them if it weren't for the presence of a certain setter that had already grabbed the visiting team's attention. She slowed to a jog and eventually came to a stop a little ways behind the boys in black, not close enough to hear everything that was being said, but enough to know that Oikawa was trying to ruffle Karasuno's feathers. As long as none of them made a scene, Haru found no reason to interrupt the brutal truth her schoolmate presented to Karasuno.

' _If it had been a real match with Oikawa playing from the very beginning, the game would have been over in two sets.'_

If Haru had to be honest, she would have told them the same thing, though not exactly in the same way Oikawa had. She could see great potential in the team, and she knew Oikawa could see it too, but without the proper guidance, all of the talent Karasuno had would just go to waste.

' _And that would be a real shame.'_

Haruka was then abruptly pulled from her thoughts when a certain brunette called out to her. Blinking, she refocused her gaze on the group of people in front of her and managed a smile as she closed the remaining distance between her and them. "Ah, Haru-chan!" Oikawa chirped, slinging an arm over the shorter girl's shoulders. "You're here too. Are here to see them off? You really are such a nice little girl."

Sighing, the libero shot him a flat look and made an effort to shrug his arm off, only to surrender when she realized the setter wouldn't budge. Not that she was really trying in the first place. "Yes, yes, you should learn a thing or two from me then, Tooru," she huffed, her cheeks puffing ever so slightly. "You're not trying to pick a fight with them, are you? You shouldn't be picking fights with other people, Tooru."

Oikawa grinned. "It's just a little friendly competition, Haru-chan."

"No offense intended, Tooru, but 'friendly' and 'competition' are two words that don't belong in the same sentence when it comes to you," she pointed out before a softer expression, one of worry and genuine concern, spread across her features. "That aside, should you really be walking around this much? I know you were able to play earlier, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful. Hajime-kun is going to be worried if you keep overexerting yourself."

The sudden change in Haruka's tone caused the setter in question to pause for a moment, only to kindly smile down on the libero and reach up with the arm he had slung over her shoulders to give her a gentle pat on the head. "I'll promise not to overdo it today, Haru-chan," he hummed. Oikawa then shot a smug look at the Karasuno boys. "It's _so_ nice to have a cute, little lady looking out for you," he sang, just as he let Haru go and turned around, heading back to their gym. "I'll see you around."

Haruka couldn't keep herself from rolling her eyes at her friend's attempt at provocation as she turned her attention to their school's visitors. "I'm sorry about him," she began, bowing slightly. "He's just got a lot of passion and love for volleyball, but deep down inside, he's a good guy, I promise. You just have to dig deep down."

But as if on cue, Iwaizumi's voice echoed from across the parking lot, his irritation more than evident from the tone of his voice. "There you are, Trashykawa! What are you doing here? You think you could play just because the doctor said you were okay?"

"Aw, were you worried the whole time Iwa-cha- Ow!"

Haruka took a deep breath. "Deep, _deep_ down… I hope he didn't intimidate you too much."

At that, Sawamura let out a throaty chuckle. "Not too much," he assured her, nodding a bit. "But he really is something. Can't say I'm surprised though. He's Kageyama's upperclassman after all."

"Well, I'll make sure to let him know he made an impression," she chimed, grinning widely. "Oh, by the way, congratulations on winning. You guys did great." She then turned to Hinata and Kageyama. "Especially you two. That was a quick if I ever did see one, but Tooru definitely had a point. What's the use of a flashy offense when you can't even get the ball up in the first place?"

"Yeah," Sugawara agreed as he rested his hands on his hips, eyes focused on the freshmen in the back squabbling amongst themselves. "We'll have to work on that."

"Don't you have training to get back to, Haru?" This time, it was Ennoshita who spoke up.

"Kinda?" she squeaked, shrugging. "We've got free practice today since our coach isn't here, but I'm pretty sure a lot of them have already gone home…" Her grin mellowed down, her expression going soft and warm. "I can't wait to see where you guys go from here," she hummed, more thinking out loud than actually talking to the teens in front of her. "Maybe if you guys get better, I can bring up the idea of having a practice match with you guys to the team."

Somehow, Hinata had managed to pick up on the offer of another practice match with a top school, and beaming, he immediately made his way to the front of the group so he could confirm with his own eyes and ears what Haruka was saying. "A practice match? With your team?" For a moment, the libero was surprised to find him running up to her, but Haru found the freshman's excitement infectious and nodded eagerly, the confirmation enough to have the younger teen trembling in his shoes. "Can we Captain? Can we?" he quickly asked, turning back to Sawamura.

The wing spiker rubbed the back of his neck. "It's definitely possible, but we'll have to sort it out first with Miyamura-san's captain and coach."

"Great," Haru chirped. "For future reference, our team is free on Mondays." Haruka then clasped her hands together. "Well, I better get back to the gym. I just slipped out so I could congratulate you and see you off."

"Thank you, Miyamura-san," Suga said. "We'll definitely hold you to that."

Giggling, Haruka nodded. "Only if you get better with receives, at the very least. The plays you boys made brings a libero like me to tears." She then reached a hand up to pat Hinata on the head, like she would her own brothers. "I'm sure when you find your groove, you'll be able to do great things." After letting her hand drop and leaving Hinata a little embarrassed, her eyes turned to back Suga. "You know how to reach me, Sugawara-san. Send me a message whenever you're ready." A cheeky grin and a wink. "We'll be waiting."

=oOo=

Koushi waved good bye at his best friend before boarding the bus, their paths diverging at that point. The floor beneath him began to shake as the bus began to lurch forward and continue on its route, and although the setter had his hand on one of the bars overhead to steady himself, he made it a point not to stay standing any longer than he had to and looked for a vacant seat.

Hazel eyes scanned the rows of seats, and normally, he would have settled for the nearest seat so he could stop swaying from side to side, but then he spotted a familiar head of dark hair sitting by the window near the back of the bus, a distant expression on the little lady's face as she stared out through the tempered glass.

Sugawara blinked.

 _'What a coincidence...'_

He was well aware that they took the same bus home, but he hadn't really considered the chances of being on the same bus at her. Koushi didn't mind though. He actually appreciated it, since he was the only one in the volleyball team who took this bus, and the trips home could be very quiet. It was just mildly amusing to him how she had just seen her this afternoon during the practice match against Seijoh, and now, she popped up again.

' _What were the chances of that?'_

Taking it as good fortune, Sugawara made his way over to where the libero was seated and called out to her softly. "Miyamura-san?"

The libero promptly looked his way and blinked a few times before a wide smile appeared on her face. It was an infectious smile, he realized then and there, when he found the corners of his own lips curving upward. "Sugawara-san," she chimed, the lilt in her voice letting him know she was as pleasantly surprised as he was. A brief pause and Miyamura scooted back against the window a bit more to make room for the taller teen. "Ah, sit down before you topple over," Haru chuckled as she patted the space beside her.

"Thanks," he hummed, settling himself down on the seat. He had barely even sat down though, when something that sounded like a small giggle came from the libero, and he couldn't help but give her a questioning look, an eyebrow raised in curiosity at the shorter teen.

Miyamura caught the look and she quickly shook her head. "It's nothing, Sugawara-san," she assured him. "I was just thinking how funny it is that this is the first time I've seen you on the bus, even though we live in the same neighborhood."

"I was thinking the same thing, honestly," Suga admitted, letting out a small chuckle of his own before easing back against his seat. Silence then fell between the two of them, but it wasn't at all uncomfortable, Sugawara noticed, so he wouldn't have minded the silence if it had stretched on and on, but a question came from the teen sitting beside him, cutting the quiet short.

"So I asked the team about that practice match," she began.

Koushi blinked, surprised that she had already brought it up to her teammates. "And?"

"Well, we still have to bring it up to our coach, but no one had any qualms about it," she told him, but the setter could see her usual bright expression falter for a moment, and Suga couldn't help but assume that the idea might not have gone over as well as she had made it out to be. It stung a bit, but Koushi could understand why a team from a top performing school wouldn't want to waste their time on them. Regardless, he appreciated Miyamura giving them a chance, especially when the opportunity to have practice matches with other schools rarely came by. "So if our coach gives us the green light, then we'll have our game."

"That's great," he cheered, a wide smiling stretching across his face. "Thanks for the help, Miyamura-san. I owe you one."

At that, the libero snorted. "Doesn't that make it two now though?" she asked. "You still haven't paid me back for the umbrella."

Hazel eyes widened. "The taiyaki, right," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Sorry, I'll pay you back, I promise. Custard-filled ones, right?"

' _Daichi said there's a taiyaki place near the bus stop. Maybe she could drop by Karasuno and we could-'_

"Yep, but…" Miyamura shuffled about and eventually brought a pastel box to her lap. "My underclassmen gave me this so I could let them watch your practice match, and I could only eat so much taiyaki in a week-" Sugawara did his best to not feel disappointed – not that he understood why he'd be disappointed in the first place – but he couldn't keep his shoulders from going slack. "-so I decided to change the terms of your payment."

"Huh?"

"This Sunday, you'll help me with groceries."

Now Suga was even more confused.


	14. Chapter 14

_Did I ever mention that this fic was going to be warm and fluffy and all around happy?_

 _Because if I did, I'll have to rescind that statement._

* * *

 _Now Suga was even more confused._

=oOo=

One, two, three rings, and then finally, a click.

The screen in front of the four Miyamura siblings flashed bright for a moment before the previously empty interface was replaced by three windows, each streaming a different feed. The bottom window featured the four of them huddled together, the twins sitting on their older siblings' laps and the web camera of Haruka's laptop somehow managing to fit all of them into the video. The top right window streamed footage from their apartment back in Tokyo, two young men standing by with two tall cups of what Haru had assumed to be coffee sitting within view. The top left window showed a beaming, sunburnt man, dressed in khakis and browns, the feed coming all the way from Cairo.

"Dad, Nii-san, Hideyoshi-san," Haruka immediately chirped upon seeing them, prompting her younger brothers to turn their attention to the screen in front of them. "How've you been?" Her question, however, was quickly forgotten, when the twins began to stir.

"Papa!" Sakuya and Ikuya excitedly cheered in unison, nearly launching themselves towards the defenseless laptop, and the only things that had saved the poor device was Haru and Yuuichi quickly wrapping their arms around their youngest brothers before they could get off. That didn't stop the children from being rowdy though. "Papa, Papa!"

From the other side of the world, their father chuckled. _"Hi kids,"_ he greeted them with a small wave of a hand. _"How are you all doing? I haven't called you in a while, have I? Sorry about that."_

Shrugging, Yuuichi sighed, "Can't be helped, Dad. It's not like everywhere you go has internet, after all."

" _I'm pretty sure that's 'I miss you Dad, but I understand you have work to do, so I'm okay' in Yuuichi-speak,"_ the black-haired man in Tokyo snickered, while the brunette sitting beside him shook his head despite his own growing grin. _"Did you miss you Nii-san too, Yuuichi? I bet you did."_

"As if," the middle schooler huffed as he sharply turned his head to the side, only furthering his older brother's amusement.

" _Real mature, Ryuuji,"_ the brunette sighed before turning his attention to the video conference. _"Good evening, Fujitaka-san. I'll be staying over tonight, if you don't mind."_

" _I don't mind at all,"_ Fujitaka assured him _"Though with how often you stay over, I have to ask – why don't you just move in, Hideyoshi? You're like family to us anyway, and I doubt any of us would mind."_ Ignoring the embarrassed expression the brunette was wearing, the man then turned to the eldest Miyamura sibling. _"There, I asked him to move in for you. Are you happy now?"_

" _Dad!"_

Ryuuji's reaction only made their father laugh all the more – Haruka and Yuuichi couldn't help but try and ultimately fail to stifle their own giggles as well – and it made it all the more obvious to Haruka that their penchant for teasing ran in the family.

" _Wait, did you seriously get your dad to ask me to move in with you?"_

" _Wha- Not! I mean, I was gonna ask you, since we've been together for a while now and you're always here anyway, and so I asked him if he'd be alright with it and, well-"_ Ryuuji's frantic explanation was effectively cut short by Hideyoshi pulling him into a hug. Despite the sweet gesture, Haruka and Yuuichi had expected something more intense and had automatically covered Sakuya's and Ikuya's eyes. _"Uh, I take this as a yes?"_

" _Duh, you dumbass!"_

" _Good, because I already had the spare keys made."_

"Bleh," Yuuichi grumbled, making a face. "You guys are too sweet. It's making me nauseous."

The eldest Miyamura sibling stuck his tongue out at the middle schooler, an arm still slung over Hideyoshi's shoulders. _"When you meet someone special, you'll be eating those words Yuu."_

"Well," Haruka cut in, a smile wide on her face in contrast to scowl her younger brother was wearing. "I'm happy for the two of you, Nii-san, Hideyoshi-san."

"Haru-nee, I can't see!" Ikuya whined, shaking his head in an effort to free his eyes, and it was only then that Haruka remembered they still had their eyes covered.

"Ah, sorry Ikuya," she squeaked, immediately removing her hands from his eyes, Yuuchi following suit.

"Papa, Papa, did you get our drawings?" Sakuya eagerly asked once he could see again, his twin similarly lighting up at the question.

"Did you Papa, did you?" Ikuya reiterated.

For a few moments, Fujitaka shuffled about before pulling two sheets of paper into view. _"You mean these wonderful pieces of art?"_ he chimed, displaying them proudly for all of them to see. _"You mean you drew these for me, Sakuya, Ikuya? I thought an artist made these! My, my, what talented kids I have!"_ The twins laughed in delight, terribly happy that their father loved their gift, and Haru couldn't help but chuckle to herself.

' _Dad is so extra, I swear… But I guess that's his way of encouraging us in our hobbies…'_

" _And look what else came in the mail."_ The man then lifted up a CD case with a label that read 'Spring Nationals.'

It took Haru a couple of seconds before she recognized the CD, but when she did, her eagerness was no different from the twins'. "You got it!" she cheered. It was a compilation of matches from the last Spring Tournament, specifically, all the matches Aoba Johsai played.

Ever since she and Yuuichi took up volleyball, their father would always make it a point to have a video copy of all of their matches. Even now, with thousands of kilometers separating them, Fujitaka insisted that they send him CDs of them. _"Of course,"_ he hummed. _"I can't wait to get everyone to watch… Oh, and I'll have to watch this one too."_ The man pulled out another CD, but this time, the label it had read 'Yuuichi's School Play.' Now _that_ disc, Haruka recognized immediately, and she quickly braced herself for her brother's reaction.

"How did you get that!?" Yuuichi immediately squawked, pointing an accusing finger at the screen and nearly sending Sakuya sliding off his lap. "Who-" The middle schooler paused before turning to Haruka, who in turn immediately lifted her hands up in surrender. "You took a video?!"

"Well, _I_ didn't record it. The school did," she corrected. "I just asked if I could have a copy."

"And they just _gave_ you one?!"

"I _am_ your sister, so yeah, they gave me one."

"I feel _so_ attacked right now," was all Yuuichi could say as he shook his head, a look of betrayal on his face.

Video calls like these would last well into the night – the time difference making it no easier for them – and more often than not, their conversation would start winding down when their father would ask Yuuichi to get the twins to bed. Yuuichi would then come back to say goodnight before retiring himself, leaving Haruka and Ryuuji to talk with their father.

" _I'm gonna call it a day, Ryuuji,"_ Hideyoshi murmured, sleep already evident in his voice by that point, and Haruka couldn't hold it against him. It was already nearing midnight, and if the libero had to be honest herself, she needed to get to bed soon too. _"It was nice to see you again, Fujitaka-san. And thank you. I'll take good care of your son."_

" _It's no problem, Hideyoshi,"_ Fujitaka assured him, a warm smile on his face. _"I'm just happy my son found someone he cares deeply for. Not everyone can, after all."_ A similar smile appeared on Ryuuji's and Hideyoshi's faces, and after pressing a quick kiss on her brother's temple, Hideyoshi got up and walked out of view, leaving the two eldest siblings with their father. _"You two should probably get to bed too, but first I need to ask you something Haruka."_

The teen blinked. "Yeah?"

" _University. Are you planning on going to university?"_

Haruka didn't even need to think. "Yeah, definitely."

" _I see, I see,"_ their father hummed, nodding to himself. _"You did mention you wanted to teach… English, was it?"_ Haruka nodded eagerly. _"Well then, have you already been looking into universities?"_

" _Actually Dad, Haru and I've been already working on application forms,"_ Ryuuji offered, causing the man to blink in mild surprise. _"We'll talk about it more when I come home for Golden Week."_

" _Then it looks like you've got a handle on this already."_ A snort. _"I've got some very independent kids, don't I?"_

"Aw come on Dad," Haru whined, pouting. "You know we miss you."

" _I know you do,"_ he hummed. _"I miss you kids a lot too and I'm sorry for putting so much responsibility onto you... I wish I could be there with you, but after your mother…"_ Their father didn't make an effort to finish his sentence, and instead took a steadying breath. Haru and Ryuuji turned to each other, knowing full well that after five years, talking about their mother was still difficult for him.

" _We're fine, Dad. We're totally okay,"_ Ryuuji murmured. _"We love you Dad."_

" _And I love you,"_ he breathed before sharply shaking my head. _"But back to the topic on hand… Haruka, are you gunning for a sports scholarship again? You got a lot of offers back then when you were about to start high school… Any offers now?"_

"Ah, actually…" Haruka began, reaching a hand up to rub the back of her neck, suddenly nervous. Her father had always been supportive of her volleyball career, as well as Yuuichi's, so it was a bit difficult for her to give him the news. But she had already thought it through, and nothing was going to change her mind. "I'm retiring after Inter-High."

=oOo=

In the back of his mind, Koushi made a note to _never_ talk about personal plans in the clubroom, ever again. What had started out as a simple invitation from Daichi – he had asked whether or not he wanted to join him the coming Sunday to buy new volleyball shoes while they were all getting ready for afternoon practice, to which he replied he couldn't because he already had plans with Miyamura that day – had eventually turned into a pseudo-debate between him and Sawamura on whether or not Miyamura's invitation was as innocent as it had seemed.

And then, lines were drawn.

Tanaka and Kinoshita being on their captain's side was not helping, and neither was Kageyama, Hinata and Tsukishima's indifference. Shimizu and Yamaguchi were thankfully being reasonable, and while Sugawara was disappointed Asahi and Nishinoya still refused to go back to the club, he was the slightest bit relieved that the two didn't have to give their two cents on the topic, which left one last person to ask.

"What about you, Ennoshita?" the gray-haired teen asked. "You know Miyamura-san. She just probably needs the man-power, right?"

Blinking, the second year wing spiker took a moment to give his answer. "Probably," he finally said, giving Sugawara another man on his team. "This is just based on personal experience, and it's been years since Haru and I actually hung out, but she's a pretty straightforward person, even back then. If it was a date, then she'd say it's a date." Ennoshita then made a face. "I can't imagine why anyone would want to date her though."

At that, the setter's eyebrows shot up. He knew Ennoshita could be as cutthroat as Daichi – case in point, he could reign in his fellow second years and was actually getting along well with the first years – but Suga wasn't expecting him to say something like that. "What do you mean?" Koushi couldn't help but ask.

Ennoshita must've caught on to what his vice captain was thinking, judging from the look that appeared on his face, and immediately started back tracking. "I mean, we practically grew up together, you know?" he told him. "We could probably pass off as siblings, just like Tanaka said. It's kinda weird for me to talk about why anyone would date someone I thought of as a sister."

Koushi considered his underclassman's words for a few seconds, and as reluctant as he was to admit it, he could understand. He had two older sisters of his own, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the idea of having to list reasons why a guy would date them. "Yeah, I kinda get what you mean," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, and now it felt like he needed to defend the libero. "But you know, Miyamura-san seems to be a nice person."

"She is," Ennoshita affirmed. "She just used to drag me into a lot of her crazy schemes."

Sugawara whole-heartedly laughed. "And you let her?"

The second year couldn't help but let out a chuckle of his own. "They sounded like good ideas at the time." Ennoshita's laughter shortly died down however, and Sugawara couldn't help but notice the grim expression that suddenly appeared on the wing spiker's face. "But between the two of us, she was always the one who got scolded by our parents and-" Ennoshita suddenly straightened himself, catching himself before he could say any more, but the damage was done and Suga was the slightest bit curious as to what he was planning to say. Before he could ask though, Ennoshita was already making his exit.

"Ah, sorry about that I started rambling…" he quickly apologized. "Anyway, don't think about it too much, Sugawara-san. I'm pretty sure Haru isn't."


End file.
